The third 50p coin in the Royal Mint’s Dinosauria Collection is Hylaeosaurus. The coin is available as BU, colour BU, silver proof, colour silver proof and gold proof. The coins are available individually or as a set.
Dr Gideon Mantell and the Hylaeosaurus
After his success with the Iguanodon and his 1827 book called ‘Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex‘, Dr Gideon Mantell continued his research into the fossil remains of what became known as dinosaurs. In 1932 in a quarry in West Sussex, Mantell discovered Hylaeosaurus, a creature from the Early Cretaceous period some 136 million years ago.
However, all was not well. Mantell was a medical doctor but his practice had deteriorated. He still had not convinced everyone that his findings were of this new family of huge creatures, and after struggling with lack of money had to sell his entire collection to the British Museum for £4,000.
While at its new home at the Museum, the anatomist Richard Owen was able to study the objects in depth and although he had publicly doubted Mantell now realised that these remains were of dinosaurs. Owen was a controversial, if not brilliant figure, but his influence validated the existence of dinosaurs.
Owen took much of the credit that Mantell probably deserved at the time although we know now that Gideon Mantell was paramount in discovering and identifying dinosaurs. Mantell went back to being a doctor in South London and sadly had several misfortunes in his later life. He died in 1852.
Hylaeosaurus 50p Coin Description
The Reverse, by Robert Nicholls, shows an image of the Hylaeosaurus.
The Obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.
Images shown are the colourised silver proof, used by permission of The Royal Mint
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