While the T. Rex coin we looked at yesterday had an unusual design for a coin, Melbourne Coin Company’s latest goes with an unusual subject for its appeal. The crocodilians have always been a popular subject in the coin world, hardly a surprise given how incredible these animals are, but we don’t see many that feature the prehistoric ancestors that often reached frankly ridiculous sizes. While not a behemoth of that scale, MCCs latest dips back in Australia’s past inspired by a pivotal fossil.

Dsicovered in 2010, in Queensland, Confractosuchus sauroktonos remains were the first evidence in Australia of a crocodile preying on dinosaurs. A freshwater species, this isn’t a behemoth like Deinosuchus, or Sarcosuchus, each of which approached 10 metres in length and almost 5 tons in weight. Confractosuchus topped out at under 2 metres, although fossils are very rare and incomplete at present. In its stomach were found the remains of a 1.7kg ornithopod dinosaur – chicken sized.

The coin depicts a dramatic encounter, typical of modern freshwater crocodiles, who are ambush predators. Likely our dino was having a drink, and never saw the ‘log’ steering towards itself. It’s a stylised image that captures the burst of energy that crocodiles employ so effectively. The coin is antiqued with a colour image on the reverse face.

Kudos to MCC for picking a subject like this, and for maintaining a focus on Australia. I’m constantly surprised how comparatively little is known about Australian palaeontology in comparison with other regions, so for me, this one is particularly welcome in helping to redress that a little. Available to order from yesterday, it comes boxed with a COA, and has a mintage capped at just 300 pieces, which is low for a one-ounce coin.