Stegosaurus sets record at auction

A 150-million-year-old, nearly complete Stegosaurus skeleton sold for $44.6 million at auction at Sotheby’s in New York. The colossal fossil was nicknamed “Apex”.

Stegosaurus ungulates

Dinosaur inhabited Earth in late Jurassic period, between 161-146 million years ago

Fossil measures 3.35m tall and 6.09m long

May 2022: Apex found by commercial palaeontologist Jason Cooper, on his property near Colorado town of Dinosaur

Jul 17, 2004: Apex set to be among most expensive dinosaur fossils ever auctioned


Most expensive fossils ever sold

Stan, $31.8 million: Christie’s sell Tyrannosaurus rex fossil (left) in 2020 to state of Abu Dhabi

Sue, $8.36 million ($16.22m today): Sotheby’s sell most complete T-rex ever found, in 1997 to Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago
   
Hector, $12.4 million: Christie’s sell Deinonychus – close relative of Velociraptor – in 2022 to undisclosed buyer
     
Big John, $7.7 million: Drouot in Paris sells Triceratops fossil in 2021 to private collector

Gorgosaurus, $6.1 million: Sotheby’s in New York sell close relative to T-rex to private buyer
      
TRX-293 Trinity, $6.13 million: In 2023, Switzerland’s Köhler sells composite skeleton from three T-rex discoveries to private buyer

Maximus, $6.1 million: Sotheby’s in New York sell T-rex skull in 2022. Skull is 75% complete, and weighs approximately 72.7kg
     

Sources: Forbes, Sotheby’s 
Pictures: Matthew Sherman/Sotheby’s, Wikipedia 
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