Monday, 8 March 2021

1729) "Thanatotheristes degrootorum" ("Reaper of Death"), Canada: "Discovering Dinosaurs" Coin Series: A $20 (Twenty Canadian Dollars) Silver Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

1729) "Thanatotheristes degrootorum" ("Reaper of Death"), Canada: "Discovering Dinosaurs" Coin Series: A  $20 (Twenty Canadian Dollars) Silver Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint: Year of Coin issue: 2021:

Unveiled in 2020, Thanatotheristes degrootorum is the first new tyrannosaur species discovered in Canada in over 50 years. 

This "Reaper of Death" was identified thanks to fossil fragments found along the Bow River in Alberta. 

At approx. 79.5 million years old, Thanatotheristes degrootorum is one of the oldest known tyrannosaurids – it even pre-dates the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex by 12 million years!

The imposing meat eater on this coin was identified thanks to fossil fragments found in 2008 by a local farmer and his wife while walking along the Bow River in Alberta. And by comparing the fossils to those of other known tyrannosaurs, experts say the toothy Thanatotheristes would have been about eight metres (26 feet) long!

More about "Thanatotheristes degrootorum":

Thanatotheristes (meaning "Reaper of Death" according to the original authors; literally, "death harvester" in Greek.

The "death harvester" is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Laramidia, approximately 80.1 to 79.5 Million years ago. 

Thanatotheristes contains only one species, T. degrootorum, which may actually be the same animal as Daspletosaurus

Fossils of this taxon are found in the Foremost Formation of Alberta, Canada, coexisting with medium-sized ceratopsids like Xenoceratops foremostensis and small pachycephalosaurids like Colepiocephale lambei.

The Coin:

On the Reverse of the $20 (Twenty Canadian Dollars) "Discovering Dinosaurs" Silver Coin the Dinosaur's toothy skull is depicted.

The black rhodium plating highlights a fossil find that shed new light on the Earth's prehistoric past. The black rhodium plating represents the hidden or unknown past. This dark design element keeps the focus on the engraved fossils that have helped paleontologists piece together the story of prehistoric Canada.

Beneath the black rhodium plating, the engraved rock texture represents the formation in which the fossil fragments were found

Designed by Canadian paleoartist Julius Csotonyi, (who was the first to illustrate Thanatotheristes degrootorum), the Reverse design features the fossilized skull of Thanatotheristes degrootorum, a tyrannosaur species recently discovered in Canada. 

The coin design, presents the anticipation of unearthing a new Dinosaur species, where the engraved rock formation represents the thrill of discovery.

The fossil depicted on this coin has been verified for scientific accuracy by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

The Obverse of the $20 (Twenty Canadian Dollars) "Discovering Dinosaurs" Silver Coin features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Susanna Blunt.

The specifications of this Silver Coin are:

Country of issue: Canada; Year: 2021; Denomination/Face Value: $20 (Twenty Canadian Dollars); Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 1.0 Oz or 31.39 grams; Diameter/Size: 38.00 mm; Coin Quality: Matte Proof; Mintage: 7,500 pieces; Edge: Serrated;  Presentation Box/Case: Yes, the coin is individually encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes, Serialised; Designers: Julius Csotonyi (Reverse), Susanna Blunt (Obverse).














For other interesting posts on the Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:











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