2022 TYRANNOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Tyrannosaurus was one of the most feared predators of all time. The giant carnivore was actively seeking food, but it was also an opportunist who did not despise carrion. When hunting, it used its super eyesight, sense of smell and jaws with 18-centimetre teeth, the grip of which could exert pressure of over 30 tonnes per square centimetre.

Tyrannosaurus could even chew through bone, as evidenced by the preserved fossil of the pelvis of a triceratops that became its prey. The carnivore’s body was 12 metres long, in contrast to its stubby forelimbs. Although only the length of a human arm, they were sturdy and a deadly weapon.

NOTES: Not mentioned in their own description, but that looks like T. Rex is looking back at the infamous asteroid that heralded the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs. We’re not lovers of the colouration on this particular design, although the little Triceratops in the background is a neat touch.

2022 TRICERATOPS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The triceratops was characterised by a trio of horns growing out of its head. The two horns on the forehead were over one metre long, the nasal one was considerably shorter. The peace-loving dinosaur was a favourite food of the tyrannosaurus, and its horns helped it to keep predators away. But it certainly didn’t run at the dinosaur to stab it, because such an impact would have killed the 12-ton triceratops itself.

Its jaws, which were the strongest of any herbivore, ended in a hard beak. The bony collar that covered the back of its neck may have been used for defence, temperature control, or as an ornament in courtship rituals.

NOTES: A nice watering hole design with some Pterodactyl in flight in the background. Again, we’re not huge fans of the colour pallete.

2022 ANKYLOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The ten-metre-long Ankylosaurus was a slow and clumsy herbivore. But it was certainly not defenceless. It was protected from the attacks of large predators by bone armour. Its broad head, topped with a beak, was covered with a series of horns and a layer of plates that fused with the skull bones. Its neck, back and flanks were covered by interconnected bone plates, growths and bumps that formed a compact armour.

Its tail was topped with a massive bone club. This devastating defensive weapon, which the dinosaur carried just above the ground, could crush bones. The only vulnerable part of the ankylosaur’s body was its unprotected abdomen.

NOTES: Great fight scene in the background with an Ankylosaurus and a Theropod carnivore having a real ruckus.

2022 PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The characteristic feature of the pachycephalosaurus was its extremely thick skull that formed a kind of protective helmet. The top of the skull was more than 25 centimetres thick. This unusual feature has led to the hypothesis that the dinosaur used its armoured head as a battering ram to defend itself from predators or at mating time, when two rivals held a knock-down contest – much like today’s sheep and goats.

But it’s not certain their vertebrae could have supported such a load. The head of the pachycephalosaur was still adorned with a wreath of bony horns. The teeth of the five-metre-long creature suggest it was herbivorous and grazed tough vegetation.

NOTES: Not sure on the colour, but it looks okay. The two animals having a dominance dispute with headbutts is another really nice little addition.

2023 PARASAUROLOPHUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Parasaurolophus, which was classified as a herbivorous duck-billed hadrosaur, boasted a distinctive bony crest on its head. This promontory, which could measure up to 180 centimetres in the case of a ten-metre-long dinosaur, was hollow and connected to the air passages. It enabled Parasaurolophus to make impressive sounds that resembled a drawn-out, resonant roar and allowed it to communicate with other dinosaurs over long distances.

Probably, the bone tube also provided an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell and aided in thermoregulation. Females had a much shorter crest than males.

NOTES: Depicted grazing as part of a herd, there’s a volcano in the background, and Pteranodon in the sky.

2023 MAIASAURA

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The seven-metre-long maiasaura belonged to the duck-billed hadrosaurs, but unlike many other members of this group, it did not have a crest on its head. It lived in herds up to a thousand individuals and nested in large colonies, which gave it safety from carnivores.

The discovery of a fossilised colony with many nests, eggs and skeletons provided the first evidence that dinosaurs cared for their young. Each nest contained up to 40 eggs, which were warmed by rotting vegetation. Adult dinosaurs fed their offspring during their first year. When the young grew to 1.5 metres in length, they left the nest.

NOTES: Yet again, we have volcanos in the background. I don’t know what it is with the association, but it’s quite odd. We do like the sauropods in the water, and the overall scene with the young animal is well realised.

2023 PTERANODON

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The Pteranodon was a flying reptile with a wingspan of up to 7 metres, making it one of the largest known pterosaurs. It could take to the air thanks to its hollow bones, which greatly reduced its weight. It weighed no more than a six-year-old child. Unlike its older relatives, it was completely toothless. Its beak was more than a metre long and was used for fishing.

It foraged at sea level near the coast, sometimes falling prey to giant animals lurking underwater. The counterweight to the beak was a growth on the back of the pteranodon’s head, which was much larger in males and may have helped with steering in flight.

NOTES: A great choice of scene, with the cliffs by the sea. A pair of them in flight, one carrying a fish, forms a cool backdrop to the coloured animal on the ground.

2023 ARCHAEOPTERYX

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The Archaeopteryx was long thought to be a primeval bird, but apparently it was actually a theropod dinosaur. By the time its first fossil was found, as the missing link between reptiles and birds, it had become a mainstay of Darwin’s doctrine of evolution. Its outline feathers were well-developed, its limb geometry resembled some of today’s birds, and its weight did not exceed one kilogram.

It can therefore be assumed that it was capable of gliding or even active flight. Its 70-centimetre wingspan was also used for hunting, and for knocking down prey. With jaws full of sharp teeth, it could catch insects and small vertebrates.

NOTES: Another very appropriate scene, with this once pivotal creature depicted hunting at the edge of a forest.

2024 BRACHIOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Brachiosaurus was one of the largest sauropod dinosaurs and one of the largest land animals of all time. Its 26-metre-long and 13-metre-high body was built vertically and could weigh over 50 tonnes. It consumed 400 kilograms of plant food a day, feeding at heights of around 9 metres.

It could reach the leaves from the treetops thanks to its long forelegs and long neck made up of 14 lightweight vertebrae supported by strong ropes of muscles and tendons. His brain was very small compared to the rest of his body. It was supplied with oxygenated blood by a 400-kilogram heart.

NOTES: Yes, that is another volcano. We have to wonder how any of the dino’s in this series ever made it to adulthood…

2024 STEGOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The herbivorous stegosaurus was not a very intelligent creature. Its nine-metre-long body was dominated by a brain the size of a human fist, but when it came to life, it could be a deadly opponent. The stegosaur’s tail, which it wielded like a club, was tipped with four sharp spikes up to 90 centimetres long.

Another hallmark of this dinosaur was the two rows of bone plates on its back. The massive growths did not function as armour. Because they weren’t connected to the skeleton and were richly interwoven with blood vessels, it’s thought that they were used for thermoregulation or to communicate during mating and in dangerous situations.

NOTES: The Stegosaurus has its infamous thagomizer on the end of its tail, so seeing that in action against a carnivorous theropod in the background is excellent. Why they felt the scene needed another bloody volcano is a mystery to me.

2024 PLESIOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Plesiosaurs were marine reptiles that evolved in parallel with the dinosaurs. They had broad, stocky bodies, short tails, long necks and two pairs of fins. The vertical movement of the limbs, which is not found in any modern aquatic animal and which resembled rowing underwater, allowed plesiosaurs not only to swim fast but also to stand still.

They could grow up to 20 metres. Most of that length, however, was made up of a neck topped by a small flat head full of sharp teeth designed primarily to catch fish and cephalopods. Plesiosaurs were predators, but they still had many enemies – marine crocodiles, sharks and ichthyosaurs.

NOTES: Despite the obvious fact that the Plesiosaur was a marine reptile, there is indeed a volcano in the background. I’ve been having a bit of fun with this, but honestly, it’s just ridiculous to squeeze one in here. Not a great depiction of the animal, either.

2024 ICHTHYOSAURUS

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Ichthyosaurs were a group of highly adapted reptiles that migrated to the ocean and thus escaped the mass extinction of species at the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods. Their bodies had a hydrodynamic shape similar to today’s fish and dolphins. This made them agile swimmers who could move at speeds of around 40 kilometres per hour.

Their biodiversity was considerable – while some forms measured only a few decimetres, others reached 26 metres in length. Giant ichthyosaurs could devour equally giant prey. They had no natural enemies, but they often fought among themselves, inflicting numerous injuries.

NOTES: We’re not entirely convinced by the colour choice, but the depiction is decent, and the other fauna in the background looks well done. No volcanoes!!!

COMMON OBVERSE

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The obverse side of the coin, which is common to the whole cycle, presents a fossilised skeleton of a tyrannosaurus, together with the English inscription PREHISTORIC WORLD. As the licence to issue the commemorative coins of the Czech Mint is granted by the Pacific island of Niue, the obverse side bears its necessary elements – the national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue.

NOTES: Super design, with a theropod fossil in matrix being the primary element.

BOX AND CERTIFICATE