1 oz Silver Prehistoric Life II Plateosaurus 2026 (Mintage: 2,000)

Plateosaurus 2026: Prehistoric Times in 999.9 Fine Silver – Strictly Limited to 2,000 Pieces

• Strictly limited: very low mintage of only 2,000 pieces worldwide – the colored edition is the scarcest variant of this year of issue.
• Growth opportunities: high appreciation potential due to the strict limitation and the lively demand for dinosaur designs.
• Genuine rarity: sought-after collector's coin instead of mass-produced goods – Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) quality, individually in a coin capsule.
• Design: fully colored Plateosaurus by the water, conspecifics in the background, along with the Triassic – Jurassic – Cretaceous timeline surrounding the image field.
• Manufacturer: Bavarian State Mint in Munich – German minting quality, country of origin Germany.
• Issuing country: Democratic Republic of the Congo, face value 20 Francs, making it official legal tender.
• Specifications: 1 ounce silver (31.1 g), fineness 999.9, diameter 38.60 mm, reeded edge.

With the Plateosaurus, the "Prehistoric Life" series reaches its seventh edition of the second season – and it strikes a nerve. Because this herbivore is no exotic creature from distant continents, but rather the first dinosaur ever discovered on German soil. Silver and prehistoric times combine here into a combination that has reliably delighted collectors for years.

The Design: A Snapshot from the Late Triassic

The obverse shows the Plateosaurus in motion – its long neck stretched out, its heavy body in shallow water, droplets splashing beneath its claws. In the background, further animals of its species file through a landscape of conifers and fern fronds. The color application works with fine beige, ochre, and green tones, giving the skin texture a lifelike, three-dimensional appearance. Surrounding the design are the inscriptions "PREHISTORIC LIFE", "PLATEOSAURUS", "217 - 201 MIO YEARS BC" as well as the year of issue 2026. The reverse features the coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a leopard head, spear, and shovel, below which are the weight, fineness, and the face value of 20 Francs.

Plateosaurus was named in 1837 by the Frankfurt paleontologist Hermann von Meyer – based on bones discovered three years earlier near Heroldsberg close to Nuremberg. Later came the spectacular discovery sites of Trossingen in Baden-Württemberg, Halberstadt in Saxony-Anhalt, and Frick in Switzerland, where entire skeletal deposits were in part recovered. Due to its frequency in Württemberg, it bears the nickname "Swabian Lindwurm" (Swabian Dragon). This is a design with genuine scientific history, not merely a pretty fantasy image.

Only 2,000 Pieces: Why the Limitation Creates the Appeal

While classic bullion coins roll off the production line by the millions, this mintage of only 2,000 pieces is extraordinarily scarce even for colored coins. Spread across the global market, only a fraction remains for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This very low mintage is precisely the reason why older editions of the series – such as Megalodon, Velociraptor, or Stegosaurus – are now hardly to be found on the secondary market. Anyone wishing to complete a full series must act early when it comes to the colored variants.

A strict limitation cannot be corrected after the fact: what has been minted is minted – and what has been sold only returns through collectors' hands.

Brilliant Uncirculated, Capsule, Series – The Collector's Perspective

The coin is struck in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) quality, meaning it has the fresh, even luster of an uncirculated new strike; unlike Proof quality, the surface retains a silky-matte shimmer, forming a calm frame for the colored image. Each piece is delivered individually in a coin capsule, which protects the coloring and fine silver surface from fingerprints and environmental influences. Please keep the capsule closed – color applications do not take well to polishing.

• Mint: Bavarian State Mint, Munich
• Series: Prehistoric Life (II), Dinosaur Collection
• Condition: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU), colored
• Denomination: 1 oz, gross weight equal to fine weight 31.1 g
• Edge design: reeded

Fine Silver with Substance

Beneath the color lies pure precious metal. Silver has been a coinage metal, a store of value, and a symbol of prosperity for thousands of years – and at the same time an industrial raw material in high demand in electronics, solar technology, and medical technology. The supply is naturally limited, the metal is durable, globally tradable, and liquid. Anyone holding physical silver coins combines the collector's value of a rarity with the material equivalent of a full troy ounce of fine silver. In Germany, profits from the sale of silver are generally tax-free, provided the holding period of at least one year is observed.

Many collectors build up their holdings over generations and pass them on – precious metal outlasts currencies, and gold is humanity's oldest currency. Anyone interested not only in collector's items but also in classic inflation hedging will find suitable bars and standard coins elsewhere in the range; as well as thoughtfully assembled sets for crisis protection. This edition, however, plays to its strengths on the collector's market: design, origin, color, scarcity.

Who the Plateosaurus Is Worthwhile For

For series collectors completing "Prehistoric Life". For families seeking a gift with dino appeal and a genuine precious metal core. And for everyone who deliberately opts for editions with small mintages instead of goods that can be reproduced at will. Secure your piece from the mintage of 2,000, while initial stock lasts.