Emporium Hamburg’s ‘Prehistoric Life’ bullion coin series heads to the sky with the famous Archaeopteryx

The latest in Emporium Hamburg’s cool ‘Prehistoric Life’ bullion coins here and it’s the second of three due in 2021, and the fifth of at least twelve in the series. We have the first four base silver versions in hand here and they’re really nice coins, so obviously, we have high hopes for this one as well.

For the first time, the series heads upwards into the air with the famous proto-bird, Archaeopteryx. Depicted perched on a branch and surveying his territory perhaps, it’s a great way to show of this remarkable creature in all its glory. Like the previous entrants in this series, there’s a title and timeline border that frames the art on both silver coins.

As for formats, the one of most interest to stackers is the one-ounce fine silver bullion version. but there’s also a very nice coloured variant which we see selling for under €50. Rounding out the trio is a neat half-gram minigold coin. It won’t have the sheer detail shown in the render below, of course, but they look well done for their 11 mm diameter.

All versions are available to order now, Check out our comprehensive Bullion Series Profile of the range for a look at the range to date.

ARCHAEOPTERYX

Named after the Greek for ‘Ancient Feather’, Archaeopteryx was for a long time considered a missing link between birds and dinosaurs and one of the first discovered feathered reptiles that could be classified as a bird.

Others have been found since, but the quality of the fossils discovered in Germany have been quite amazing, so it remains hugely important. Growing to about 0.5 m in length and with broad wings, they probably spent more time gliding than flying like a modern bird.

Indeed, they had much more in common with reptiles of the time, like sharp teeth, a bony tail, and hyperextensible second toes. Just twelve skeletons of the animal have ever been discovered, the last announced in 2014 and they do differ in age and detail. The first specimen, from 1861 and now held by the Natural History Museum in London, is considered the holotype.

Darwin had written his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, just two years before, and Archaeopteryx was an important example that helped cement his theories on evolution.

PREHISTORIC LIFE RANGE
DENOMINATION 20 Francs (Congo) 20 Francs (Congo) 100 Francs (Congo)
COMPOSITION 0.9999 silver 0.9999 silver 0.9999 gold
WEIGHT 31.1 grams 31.1 grams 0.5 grams
DIMENSIONS 38.6 mm 38.6 mm 11.0 mm
FINISH Bullion Bullion Proof
MODIFICATIONS None Colour None
MINTAGE 10,000 2,000 2,000
BOX / C.O.A. No / No No / No No / No