Austria 3 Euro 2020 "Mosasaurus Hoffmanni" UNC

The second coin features Mosasaurus, the largest marine reptile, which hunted in the seas of the late Cretaceous period before dying out some 66 million years ago.

Descended from land-dwelling monitor lizards, though equipped with flippers, Mosasaurus was a carnivorous sea-dwelling reptile found in Western Europe and North America, and possibly in Japan and New Zealand. Mosasaurus means ‘Meuse lizard’, as the first specimen was found near the River Meuse in the Netherlands. The giant reptile comprised almost 40 different genera with numerous species, the largest known, M. hoffmanni, reaching lengths of up to 17 metres.

Experts believe that Mosasaurus lived near the surface of the water, where it preyed on fish, turtles, birds, pterosaurs and plesiosaurs. Despite its ability to do so, it is believed that Mosasaurus did not dive into deeper waters.

Date of Issue : 12 February 2020

Quality : Uncirculated

Series : Luminous Marine Life

Face Value : 3 Euro

Diameter : 34 mm

Alloy : Cooper

Weight : 16 g