Join us at the dig site, where science unearths a dinosaur’s story.

It’s rare to find the skeleton of a young tyrannosaur, but a Gorgosaurus libratus specimen discovered in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2009 revealed something even rarer: a last meal, preserved inside its stomach cavity.

Merging science and story in one unforgettable piece, this dinosaur-themed coin features a new technology – Double-dimension Relief—two minting technologies are incorporated into one coin! The coin’s obverse is struck Super Incuse (incuse relief struck below the coin’s surface), while the coin’s reverse is struck in Ultra High Relief (raised relief struck above the coin’s surface). It brings to life an exceptional palaeontological discovery: the first fossil evidence that juvenile tyrannosaurs ate differently than adults. The coin’s obverse takes you to the dig site, where the deep trench encircling the fossil is struck Super Incuse. Flip over the coin for a reimagining of the past on the coin’s reverse, where Ultra High Relief highlights the young Gorgosaurus as it chases down a yearling Citipes elegans, offering a glimpse into Late Cretaceous predator-prey interactions.

Unearth the moment: A dinosaur’s last meal.

Good to know

MintLAB coins challenge the status quo. Lead by the R&D team, they showcase authentic trial pieces – real prototypes created during the development of future coin technologies. Each piece is rare, innovative, and complete with exclusive packaging and a Chief Technology Officer‑signed certificate.

Past and present: A dinosaur’s story. Inspired by an exceptional palaeontological discovery made in Canada, both sides of the coin tell the same dinosaur story using two Mint technologies.

Guided by the story it set out to tell. The fossil’s story inspired the R&D behind this coin, which marks the first time Super Incuse technology is applied to the obverse, and Ultra High Relief on the reverse.

Action scene on one side, fossil on the other. Get to know Gorgosaurus, a tyrannosaur, and Citipes, a caenagnathid, dinosaur species that lived 75 million years ago in what is today southern Alberta! That past is represented on the reverse, while the fossilized specimen discovered in 2009 is on the obverse.

A new minting technology! Gorgosaurus libratus and Citipes elegans, predator and prey, appear in the Mint’s new technology, Double-dimension Relief that includes a trench on the obverse struck Super Incuse to a depth of 1.5mm and Ultra High Relief (2.0mm high) on the coin’s reverse, offering a glimpse into Late Cretaceous predator-prey interactions.

Frosted to perfection. Instead of colour, frostings help tell the story by diffusing light and creating soft contrasts between the design elements on both sides of the coin.

Scientifically verified. Both the reverse and obverse designs have been reviewed by Dr. François Therrien, paleontologist and Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Dr. Therrien co-led the study on these fossils and consulted on the coin’s design.

A must-have for dino lovers of all ages. This is your opportunity to hold a re-created piece of the past, and to enjoy unlimited views of the exceptional discovery represented here!

A fine silver rarity. Crafted in 99.99% pure silver, with mintage set to just 647 coins available worldwide.

Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.

No GST/HST.

Did you know?

The fossilized Gorgosaurus depicted on this coin was likely between five and seven years old, and, based on femur length, probably weighed about 335 kg—just 13% of an adult’s imposing body mass of 2-3 metric tons!

This gorgosaur’s last meal consisted of the hind limbs of two young Citipes elegans, the small bird-like dinosaur on this coin’s reverse. Because the (now-fossilized) Citipes limbs appear to be at different stages of digestion, they were likely ingested at different times, possibly hours or days apart. This choice of prey suggests that young gorgosaurs started out hunting smaller dinosaurs before transitioning to larger ones upon reaching adolescence, usually around the age of 11.

Behind closed doors

"Prior to this discovery, all we knew about the diet of tyrannosaurs were inferences based on tooth marks left on bones, as the predators fed on the carcass of large herbivores, like duckbilled and horned dinosaurs. This new fossil represents the first time that stomach contents are found inside a tyrannosaur skeleton—direct evidence of its last meal. Preserved inside the stomach of the young Gorgosaurus libratus, which was between five and seven years old, are the legs of two small, bird-like dinosaurs called Citipes elegans. About the size of a turkey, the two Citipes individuals hadn’t yet reached one year of age when they died. This truly unique fossil discovery reveals two interesting facts about young tyrannosaurs: they were fond of Citipes and selectively ate the legs, the meatiest part of the carcass; and, with their lightly-built skulls and sharp teeth, they preferentially hunted small and young dinosaurs, whereas adults, with their powerful jaws and blunter teeth, fed on large herbivores.”

– Dr. François Therrien, Paleontologist and Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Dr. Therrien studied the fossil specimen and consulted on the coin design.

"Believe it or not, this was my first dinosaur-themed coin—and what an amazing opportunity! It was a remarkable team effort—our R&D team and engravers, artist Julius Csotonyi, and the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s own Dr. François Therrien all poured countless hours into bringing this incredible fossil, and the prehistoric world it came from, vividly to life. We had two technologies to work with, Super Incuse and Ultra High Relief, and it wasn’t until we delved deeper into development that we could tell which one would best serve the story. Again, it’s a testament to the entire team that we delivered a finished coin showcasing both technologies in such a magnificent way."

– Matt Eggink, Product Manager

"It was such an honour and a truly unique experience to work directly with Dr. François Therrien and Julius Csotonyi throughout the sculpting process. Gaining insight into the worlds of palaeontology and scientific illustration was fascinating, and I think that knowledge really shines through in the final product. I had a blast sculpting this coin, and as a lifelong dinosaur fan, I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to bring this fossil back to life in coin form."

– Ryan Poser, 3D Artist-Engraver

"In the R&D department, we first came up with the idea of combining two successful technologies on each side of the coin about three years ago. For a while, we struggled to find a theme that could bring them together, until the Commercial Team suggested a dinosaur design—an idea that, in my opinion, fit perfectly. It was also my first time collaborating with a Ph.D. from another field on a coin, and it was interesting to bring together our different areas of expertise to create something both accurate and remarkable."

– Yannick Cormier, Ph.D., P.Eng.

About the design

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded case with a custom MintLAB beauty box. Included with each coin is a serialized certificate in the form of an art card showcasing a photo of the fossil specimen that resulted in a groundbreaking paleontological discovery that inspired this design.

Designed by Canadian paleoartist Julius Csotonyi, the coin’s reverse is an artistic rendering of Late Cretaceous Alberta, showing a predator-prey interaction in the lush prehistoric ecosystem. A young Gorgosaurus libratus is depicted as an active hunter, pursuing the smaller Citipes elegans; both are rendered in Ultra High Relief to create a more dimensional appearance. Bridging paleoart with fossil evidence, the obverse features an engraved representation of the Gorgosaurus skeleton, specimen “TMP 2009.12.14” curated at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, with Citipes remains inside the stomach cavity in the exact position they were preserved. The fossils are surrounded by a trench struck Super Incuse, to simulate their discovery and excavation in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2009, while the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati appears below. The illustrations were reviewed for scientific accuracy by paleontologists at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

By placing an order, customers acknowledge and agree that if a product is out of stock after an order has been placed and payment has been processed, the order for that product will be cancelled and a refund will be issued; no substitute product will be provided. Some items may not be exactly as shown. Items available while quantities last. Canada Post reserves the right to limit purchase quantities on certain items. © 2026 Royal Canadian Mint. All rights reserved.

Product # 246281

$50 Fine Silver Coin - MintLAB: Exceptional Discoveries - Dinosaurs of Canada (2026)