2022 - Niue 1 NZD Silver Coin Prehistoric World - Triceratops - Proof

Prehistoric world

The second Mesozoic lizard appearing on the Czech Mint's silver coin from the Prehistoric World series is the Triceratops.

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.

The reverse side of the coin was dedicated by the medal maker Petr Patka, DiS., to the depiction of the majestic triceratops in vivid colours, which were achieved using colouring technology. No photographs or computer graphics were used as a template - the author of the coin created an original painting. The embossed relief shows a Mesozoic wilderness - a watering hole where the baby dinosaur came with the adult. The composition of the reverse side is concluded by the inscription TRICERATOPS. The obverse side of the coin, which is common to the entire cycle, then presents a fossilized 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 attributes - the national emblem, the nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2022.

You can save the coin dedicated to the dinosaur in a collector's album which is full of interesting facts about the life of giant lizards.