- Who
- 'Stan'
- What
- 31,847,500 US dollar(s)
- Where
- United Kingdom ()
- When
The most expensive dinosaur bones sold at auction is a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed "Stan", which sold for $31,847,500 (£24.57 million / €27.08 million) at Christie's in New York City, USA, on 6 October 2020.
The specimen, officially named BHI3033, was nicknamed Stan after amateur paleontologist Stan Sacrison (USA), who discovered the bones in 1987 in South Dakota, USA.
'Stan' comprises of 188 bones and is regarded as one of the finest Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons in existence. Following a 20-minute bidding war, the winning bid came in at $27.50 million, however commission and additional fees took the final price to $31,847,500.
The buyer has not been identified. Prior to the auction, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology wrote to the auction company asking it to restrict the sale to “institutions committed to curating specimens for the public good and in perpetuity, or those bidding on behalf of such institutions" due to fears that such auctions may encourage private trade of fossils and restrict access to important specimens for researchers.
