2010 Canadian $4 Fossilized Dinosaur: 

Raptor / Dromaeosaurus Fine Silver Coin  

It is a discovery that sends hearts pounding and opens a 

window to the mystifying world of dinosaurs. Their fossilized 

bones testify to the massive beasts that once ruled the earth 

but disappeared suddenly 65 million years ago.

During the time of these great beasts, a great inland sea 

covered much of western Canada and the area now known 

as Alberta and Saskatchewan was a lush subtropical shore 

and home to over 35 dinosaur species. 

As these animals died, the evolving landscape covered 

their bones with centuries of mud and sand only to be 

revealed when the glaciers from the last Ice Age scraped 

away the top layers of rock and exposed bits of fossilized 

bone.

Discovered by paleontologists in the late 1800's, they 

inspired generations of dinosaur hunters and established 

Canada as one of the richest sources of Late Cretaceous 

fossils on earth.

Dromaeosaurus (meaning "running lizard") was one of two 

raptor, (dromaeosaurid) species that lived in Alberta between 

74 and 76 million years ago. This group of dinosaurs is 

closely related to birds. 

They were agile with a light body and a long tail that 

maintained their balance as they ran upright on their two 

hind legs.

Measuring about 2.5 m (8.25 ft) from head to tail, 

Dromaeosaurus would normally weigh less than 20 kg 

(44 lb). With clawed hands on its fore limbs and sharp, 

recurved teeth, it was perfectly equipped for slicing into 

its prey.

Design

No two coins in this collection are exactly alike, thanks to 

the unique selective aging effect applied to each 99.99% 

pure silver coin.

To ensure absolute accuracy, this design was approved by 

paleontologists at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta.