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The Royal Mint Releases Three New Dinosaur 50p Coins

The Royal Mint Releases Three New Dinosaur 50p Coins

These are a must for any dino lover.

Joanna Freedman

Joanna Freedman

The Royal Mint has released three new collectable 50p coins with dinosaurs on them.

The coins feature three dinosaurs: the Megalosaurus, Iganodon and Hylaeosaurus - and they've been especially designed based on reconstructions by palaeontologists at the National History Museum.

The illustrations are staggeringly accurate, and seek to show what the dinosaurs would have looked like more than 160million years ago.

You're unlikely to pocket one of these in your local corner shop, as they're for collecting only and can't be spent.

The Megalosaurus is the first coin to be released (
Royal Mint)

However, if you want to get your hands on one, the Megalosaurus is available today on the Royal Mint website.

Meanwhile, the other two coins will launch individually in March and April.

Prices start at a very reasonable £10, and the best bit is you don't have to worry about the coins running out, as they're available in an unlimited quantity.

But despite this, eager coin collectors are already forming online queues to get their hands on them (at the time of writing this there were over 2000 eagerly waiting).

If you want, you can also fork out £20 for a coloured version of the coin, which will feature augmented reality technology for the first time ever.

The Iguandon will also feature in a later release (
Royal Mint)

This means that, if you have the Royal Mint Activate app you can scan the coin, and it will show you facts and diagrams about the creature that features.

But there are only 50,000 of these being made, so it's first come first served.

There's also a silver proof coin available for £60, and a silver proof coloured version for £65.

Plus, if you've really got some cash to fork out, why not treat yourself to a gold dinosaur coin? It only costs an eye-watering £945...

In the past, some of Royal Mint's special editions, such as the Beatrix Potter designs, have been sold on for hundreds of pounds further down the line.

The Hylaeosaurus is the third dinosaur on offer (
Royal Mint)

However, the fact that these are unlimited means they are unlikely to rack up much more of a sum a few years down the lines.

The coloured coin, however, could be a different story, according to Colin Bellamy of Coin Hunter.

He told The Sun: "This is the coin that could well increase in value, especially as it is the first coin in a set of three."

Featured Image Credit: Royal Mint

Topics: Life News, News