Prehistoric Beast Silver

Ultra-High-Relief Dinosaur Coins from CIT and Mongolia

The Prehistoric Beast series is a numismatic silver coin programme produced by CIT Coin Invest AG (Liechtenstein) and struck at B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt in Munich, Germany. Issued as legal tender of Mongolia with a face value of 2,000 Togrog, these coins use CIT's proprietary Smartminting technology to achieve ultra-high relief striking on standard-thickness planchets.

The standard format across the series is 3 oz of .999 fine silver at 65 mm diameter, substantially larger than standard bullion coins (typically 38-40 mm). Mintages are very low, ranging from 499 to 999 pieces per release. The series launched in 2018 with the Velociraptor mongoliensis, followed by the Protoceratops andrewsi in 2019 and the Plesiosauria in 2020.

These are premium collector coins, not bullion products. They trade at five to ten times silver melt value, driven by the low mintages, Smartminting relief technology, and the distinctive "Red Rock Finish" that gives each coin the texture and colour of sandstone, evoking the fossil-bearing rock of the Mongolian Gobi Desert. Buyers seeking silver at competitive premiums should look to standard bullion products; the Prehistoric Beast series is for collectors who value numismatic artistry and rarity.

Mongolia was chosen as the issuing country partly because of the Gobi Desert's extraordinary palaeontological significance. More dinosaur species were first described from Mongolian fossils than from almost any other country, and the first two coins in the series depict the exact two species found locked in combat in the famous "Fighting Dinosaurs" fossil discovered in the Gobi in 1971.

Prehistoric Beast Series Specifications

Known Releases

Smartminting technology uses higher striking pressure and modified die geometry to achieve relief depths of up to 2 mm on a standard-thickness planchet. Traditional high-relief coins require thicker blanks to accommodate the depth, which Smartminting avoids. The result is a dramatically three-dimensional design that is difficult to replicate with conventional minting equipment.

The Red Rock Finish is a surface treatment that gives the coin the appearance and texture of red sandstone, creating a visual connection to the Gobi Desert fossil beds where these species were discovered. Each coin ships with a Certificate of Authenticity in a floating-frame display package.

B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, the striking mint, was founded in 1871 in Pforzheim, Germany, and is one of Europe's oldest private mints.

Prehistoric Beast Tax and Legal Status

As Mongolian legal tender, the Prehistoric Beast coins occupy an unusual tax position. The 2,000 Togrog face value is purely symbolic (approximately $0.55 USD at current exchange rates), but the legal tender status does affect classification in some jurisdictions.

United Kingdom

Silver coins are subject to 20% VAT on purchase regardless of country of origin. The Prehistoric Beast coins are not CGT-exempt (only UK legal tender qualifies for the CGT exemption). The coins may qualify for the margin scheme through some dealers when sold as pre-owned items. Given that these coins trade at five to ten times melt value, the 20% VAT applies to a much larger base than for standard bullion, making the tax cost proportionally significant.

United States

Treated as silver bullion for state sales tax purposes. In the approximately 35 states that exempt precious metals, the .999 purity should qualify for exemption. However, the premium-collector pricing may cause some states with threshold-based exemptions (such as California's $2,000 minimum) to treat them differently depending on whether the threshold is per-item or per-transaction. IRA eligibility is unlikely given the Mongolian legal tender status and collector pricing.

European Union

Available primarily through European numismatic dealers (particularly German-market dealers). Standard VAT rates apply to silver coins. Germany's margin scheme (Differenzbesteuerung) may apply through some dealers for pre-owned inventory. The coins' primary market is the European collector community.

Practical Consideration

The Prehistoric Beast series trades as numismatic art, not as silver bullion. Tax treatment on the silver content is a small fraction of the total purchase price. Collectors buying at five to ten times melt value are investing in rarity and artistry rather than metal content, making the silver-specific tax rules less relevant to the purchase decision.

Gobi Desert Fossils Brought to Life in Silver

The Prehistoric Beast series launched in 2018 with a subject drawn directly from one of palaeontology's most famous discoveries. The Velociraptor mongoliensis inaugural coin depicts the predatory dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period (75-71 million years ago) in the attack posture known from the "Fighting Dinosaurs" fossil. That fossil, discovered in the Gobi Desert in 1971, captured a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops locked in mortal combat, preserved by a collapsing sand dune 70 million years ago. It is considered one of the most important dinosaur fossils ever found.

The 2019 Protoceratops andrewsi completed the pair from the Fighting Dinosaurs fossil. This horned herbivore was first described from Mongolian Gobi Desert fossils by American palaeontologist Walter W. Granger in 1923. The coin maintains the Red Rock Finish and ultra-high-relief style established with the Velociraptor, creating a visual link between the two pieces.

The 2020 Plesiosauria broke from the Mongolian terrestrial fossil theme by featuring the first marine animal in the series. The plesiosaur's long neck and paddle-like limbs are rendered in high relief, and the mintage dropped from 999 to just 499 pieces. This reduction reflects CIT's strategy of keeping production volumes extremely low to maintain collector exclusivity.

CIT Coin Invest AG is the market leader in ultra-high-relief numismatic coins. Based in Liechtenstein, the company develops coin concepts and technology while contracting production to established European mints, primarily B.H. Mayer's in Munich. The Smartminting technology that defines the Prehistoric Beast series is CIT's proprietary innovation, using modified striking processes to achieve dramatic three-dimensional effects that conventional minting cannot match.

The use of Mongolia as the issuing country follows a pattern common in the numismatic industry. Countries including Mongolia, Palau, Niue, and the Cook Islands license their legal tender status for commemorative and collector coin programmes produced by international minting companies. For Mongolia, the connection is particularly apt given the Gobi Desert's status as one of the world's richest dinosaur fossil sites.

Prehistoric Beast vs Other Dinosaur and Ultra-High-Relief Silver Coins

Prehistoric Beast vs Perth Mint Australian Dinosaur Series

The Perth Mint has produced Australian dinosaur-themed coins in lower relief with higher mintages. The Perth Mint products are more accessible (both in pricing and availability) and carry Australian legal tender status, giving them stronger tax treatment in most jurisdictions. The Prehistoric Beast's Smartminting technology produces far more dramatic relief and visual impact, but at premium-collector pricing rather than bullion pricing. For buyers who want dinosaur-themed silver at reasonable premiums, Perth Mint is the practical choice. For collectors seeking numismatic art, CIT's relief quality is unmatched.

Prehistoric Beast vs Royal Canadian Mint Dinosaur Series

The RCM has produced dinosaur-themed coins in smaller formats with higher mintages. These are more affordable and carry Canadian legal tender status. The Prehistoric Beast's 3 oz weight and 65 mm diameter provide a substantially larger canvas for the high-relief artwork, which is the series' primary appeal. The RCM products are more liquid on the secondary market, while CIT's extremely low mintages (499-999) create true scarcity.

Prehistoric Beast vs Germania Mint Megafauna

The Germania Mint produces prehistoric-themed rounds, though their focus is Ice Age mammals rather than dinosaurs and marine reptiles. Germania Mint's products are privately minted rounds (not legal tender) with higher mintages and lower premiums. The Prehistoric Beast's Smartminting relief technology, legal tender status, and sub-1,000 mintages place it in a different collector tier.

The 3 oz Format

The 3 oz weight is uncommon in both bullion and numismatic markets, where 1 oz, 2 oz, and 5 oz are standard. This distinctive weight helps the Prehistoric Beast series stand apart from competitors, though it does create a non-standard position in a portfolio. The 65 mm diameter is nearly double the standard bullion coin size, providing visual presence that smaller formats cannot achieve.