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T-Rex skeleton sells for more than $6 million at Swiss auction

This is the first time in Europe and the third time worldwide that an entire Tyrannosaurus-Rex of exceptional quality has been auctioned

Published: Tue 18 Apr 2023, 9:56 PM

Updated: Tue 18 Apr 2023, 9:58 PM

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  • Reuters

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Koller auction house director Cyril Koller (C) gestures next to the skull of the 'Trinity' during sale of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus-Rex (T-Rex) by Koller auction house in Zurich on Tuesday. — AFP

Koller auction house director Cyril Koller (C) gestures next to the skull of the 'Trinity' during sale of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus-Rex (T-Rex) by Koller auction house in Zurich on Tuesday. — AFP

The skeleton of a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, a creature that roamed the Earth 67 million years ago, sold for 5.5 million Swiss francs ($6.13 million), less than expected, in Zurich on Tuesday.

Measuring 3.9 metres (12.8 feet) high and 11.6 metres (38.1 feet) long, TRX-293 TRINITY is a composite skeleton of 293 bones from three different T-Rexs found between 2008 and 2023 in the US states of Montana and Wyoming.

An undisclosed buyer offered the winning bid of 4.8 million Swiss francs, less than the 5 million to 8 million Swiss francs estimate, but the total price was higher with the buyer's premium and fees at Koller Auctions.

It was the first time in Europe and the third time worldwide that an entire T-Rex skeleton of exceptional quality was offered at auction, Koller, Switzerland's largest auction house, said in a statement.

More than half of the skeleton's bones are original. The rest are replacements made from plaster and epoxy resin casts.

Two other T-Rex models discovered in North America, called Sue and Stan, were sold for $8.4 million and $31 million respectively in 1998 and 2020.



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