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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
James Andrews

New dinosaur 50p coins launched - with an added special feature

The Royal Mint has launched a new set of 50p coins - celebrating Britain's contribution to the discovery of dinosaurs.

But on top of pictures of the terrible lizards, they feature augmented reality technology.

After receiving the coin, collectors can scan the packaging into the Royal Mint's Activate app to unearth facts, clips and images.

It's the first time the technology has been deployed by the Royal Mint - although the Bank of England managed it for the new Turner £20 note earlier this year.

The Dinosauria Collection's Brilliant Uncirculated edition also use the latest colour printing techniques to vividly show the megalosaurus, iguanodon and hylaeosaurus.

(PA)

Experts at the Natural History Museum worked in conjunction with the Royal Mint to bring the prehistoric creatures to life.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint said: "As one of the nation's most loved tourist attractions remains closed, we are pleased to partner with the Natural History Museum to bring dinosaurs to life from the comfort of your home.

"It is the first time that The Royal Mint has combined augmented reality with a coin series as we continue to innovate and enrich the experience of coin collecting.

(PA)

"Simply by scanning the packaging our customers will be able to access exclusive content which celebrates Britain's role in the discovery of dinosaurs, brings the animals to life through animation and explores the intricate details of each coin."

The hylaeosaurus coin is the third and final in the Dinosauria Collection, which features three different dinosaurs.

Fossils from the three led British anatomist Sir Richard Owen, the founder of the Natural History Museum, to coin the term dinosauria in a paper in 1842.

When the first dinosaur 50ps launched earlier this year, Rachel Hooper of Changechecker said: "We expect these coins to be very popular with collectors, especially considering this is the first time ever dinosaurs have featured on a UK coin.

"Looking back at the popularity of previous 50p series such as the 2012 Olympic 50ps and the Beatrix Potter coins from 2016, 2017 and 2018, we would expect demand for these new coins to be high as collectors look to add all three to their collection."

If the coins rise in value similar to the Beatrix Potter designs, they could be worth several hundred of pounds down the line.

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