Rare T-Rex skeleton to be auctioned in Switzerland
By Jan de Boer
Are you longing for that centrepiece that will just tie a room together, and happen to own a space that is eight metres high and 13 metres long? Well, instead of a coffee table or water feature, why not consider a real T-Rex skeleton that will be available to buy at an auction in Switzerland this April?
Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to be auctioned in Zurich this April
According to 20 Minuten, the full skeleton of a T-Rex landed in Zurich from America last December. The predator's 239 individual bones were transported using nine wooden and foam-protected boxes, ensuring they weren’t broken as they touched down at the Swiss airport.
The T-Rex, called “Trinity”, is said to be one of the best full skeletons of a dinosaur on the planet, dating from around 67 million years ago and measuring 11,6 metres long and 3,9 metres tall - the specimen is a combination of three sets of bones from Montana and Wyoming. The dino's visit also marks the first time a T-Rex has “set foot” in Switzerland for around 66 million years - although to date, no Tyrannosaurus Rex remains have ever been found in the alpine nation.
T-Rex in Zurich expected to cost the buyer a pretty penny
With it being such a rare piece, the dinosaur's location in Switzerland has been shrouded in secrecy. Trinity was first assembled for an auction house photoshoot in Zurich Schlieren early in 2023, where it took two days to assemble the beast from scratch. In the coming weeks, the T-Rex will be displayed in the Tonhalle in Zurich, before it is due to be auctioned on April 18 - auction house Koller said that the dinosaur's whereabouts will be kept a secret until it is unveiled at the Tonhalle.
According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Trinity will be the first T-Rex to ever be auctioned in Europe, and only the third of its kind to be put under the hammer worldwide. It will join a meteorite fragment and an astronaut suit in what the organisers are calling the “Out of this World” auction.
However, those hoping to get a bargain on a real dinosaur skeleton are in for a shock. While the auction does not know how much our boney friend will go for, the starting bid is 5 million US dollars - around 4,6 million Swiss francs.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more