Dinosaur Coins From Around The World

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congo tyrannosaurus coin

Dinosaur Coins For Gifts And Collecting Alike

There are dinosaur coins coming from countries I’ve never even heard of. It’s been a lesson in geography just researching the topic. Coins can be given as gifts to the dinosaur enthusiast in your life, or even collected if you’re looking for a new hobby. While most can get a little expensive, there are definitely some within reach of the everyday person. You have quite a few options for less than $25 shipped. As with anything, there are counterfeits as well as misleading marketing. I’ve highlighted what I have come across, but of course can’t guarantee I didn’t miss something. Dinosaur coins can be a really unique gift, and something that won’t take up much space in your dresser or on table tops. Some links below will provide a commission if you use them, but you never pay any extra. Thank you for supporting the site, it really helps!

canada dinosaur coinCanada (Royal Canadian Mint)

Probably the most prolific minter of dinosaur coins, these are some of the nicest coins out there. There have been glow in the dark coins, colored coins, as well as standard metal-looking coins. The dinosaur coins currently available form the mint are offered in two series’ that you can subscribe to. That subscription runs either $45 or $115 CA/month. Currently the exchange rate is currently pretty favorable for the USD. They do have one standout coin for $20 CA. It’s a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a popular among dinosaur lovers, and looks very nice. Coins from the Royal Canadian Mint are only available to the US and Canada. Everything has free shipping too!

Consumer Warning: There is a coin circulating called ‘End of the Dinosaurs’ that is the $20 Tyrannosaurus Rex coin from above with a beautiful, colorized background, as well as a piece of a meteorite. However, the meteorite is from the Campo Del Cielo Meteorite, which was not the same meteor that drove (most of) the dinosaurs to extinction. Some sites don’t even name the meteor, which is another red flag. These sell for 3x – 4x the cost of the standard Tyrannosaurus Rex coin. Buyer beware!

Burkina Faso

Dinosaur coins appear to be popular in African countries. This coin from Burkina Faso though is one of the most unique coins out there with a stunning blue eye on the Tyrannosaurus Rex depicted. Also one of the most expensive due to only 500 being minted. It is a 2016 coin with a 1000 Francs denomination. eBay looks to be the cheapest place to pick one up, coming in a little under the $100 mark. Couldn’t find any official information, but it does appear to be legitimate.

Sierra Leonne (British Pobjoy Mint)

Another line of more affordable dinosaur coins comes from a west African country. The Republic of Sierra Leonna has contracted with the British Pobjoy mint to coin some dinosaur currency. These coins were printed in 2006 and feature the Triceratops, Brontosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Stegosaurus. You can buy these coins new directly from the mint website, and shipping is just $5 to the US. Shipping is available to many countries, but is just $5 to the US. eBay is another source for these coins used. Used coins appear to be cheaper, but new coins appear to be more expensive than on the manufacturer website.

Consumer Warning: There are some counterfeit coins being offered on eBay, allegedly from Sierra Leonne. From what I have been able to find, they are not legitimate.

dinosaur collectibles

Real coin, left. Fake coins advert, Right.

Australia (Perth Mint)

Yet another regular producer of dinosaur coins is Australia’s Perth Mint. These coins also come in color, and feature the dinosaurs of Australia. These coins run on the expensive side at $90 AUD, plus shipping. Again, there is a favorable exchange rate for the USD. Definitely coins more geared to the collector, but definitely look incredible.

eritrea dinosaur coinEritrea

Seems like a lot of African countries like theirdinosaur coins. From a small, north eastern African country, this 1993 coin features the Triceratops on one side. It appears there may have been more than one denomination. A silver coin was minted in a $1 denomination, and a gold coin in a $10 denomination. The silver coin looks like it can be had for less than $20 US through eBay. The gold coin goes for considerably more. I couldn’t find a lot of details on these, but 1993 wasn’t a big era for internet press releases. They do appear to be legitimate coins, but buyer beware.

Congo

This is the first of a few oval shaped coins. A 2014 coin with a denomination of 1500 Francs, it features the Tyrannosaurus Rex in color, as well as fossilized dinosaur feces. That’s right, dinosaur poo on your coin. Definitely one of the most unique and expensive dinosaur coins. It comes as part of a gift set (pictured at the top of this article) with a dinosaur tooth as well for just under the $300 mark. Couldn’t find anything official, but it does appear to be legitimate.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

There were a couple of dinosaur coins from this European country. They are 500 crown denominations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, also from 1993. The two I could find featured a Brontosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus. No official press releases or dedicated website info pages. They do appear to be legitimate though, but buyer beware anyway. At this time it looks like you can get these coins for less than $20 each.

boznia herzegovina dinosaur coins

Niue

An island nation in the pacific I had never heard of printed these next coins. As part of a set of two for 2013, one coin represents land animals of the time (dinosaurs) and the other coin represents ocean life of the time.No actual dinosaurs lived in the oceans, so technically only one is dinosaur related. The coins are full of color, and have a $1 denomination. They also have that unique oval shape.

US dinosaur coinUnited States

The US doesn’t have any dinosaurs minted on its official currency. You still have options though if you want a US coin with dinosaurs on it. The Merrick Mint colorizes Kennedy half dollar coins with full color dinosaur images on one side. There is a 15 coin set available for collecting, or you can find them individually on eBay for under $8 shipped.

Mali

Two coins, both featuring the Spinosaurus, come from Mali. One coin is silver with 1000 Francs denomination and one is gold with 100 Francs denomination. Seems backwards right? The gold coin is yet another unique oval-shaped coin. They are both 2015 coins minted by MCI Mint, a German company. I couldn’t find anywhere to purchase these coins, they both had really low production runs.

Final Dinosaur Coin Thoughts

At the end of the day, these dinosaur coins will always be worth something. Might be less than you paid for it, but being legal tender does have its benefits. I checked out a lot of websites. The actual mint websites appeared to offer the cheapest price on the current coins in some cases. eBay was the place I found with the best selection of dinosaur coins. It does offer the added challenge of authenticity, just be sure you check out the seller rating. Additionally, paying with PayPal protects your purchase up to $2000 so you do have some scam protection. If you just want something for gift-giving purposes, search for dinosaur copper rounds on eBay or Google. They’re simply coins stamped with dinosaur designs, but have no monetary value. You can buy them individually or in bulk. Some even have color. They are extremely cheap, running between $2-$4 US. So as you can see, no matter what your budget, dinosaur coins can be affordable for everyone.