Appearances can be deceptive. Weighing five tons, up to ten metres tall and boasting sharp claws that were longer than those of any other land animal that has ever existed, the Therizinosaurus was not as dangerous as it looked. The subject of the sixth coin in the superlative Supersaurs series was actually a vegetarian and its claws more suited to detaching vegetation than attacking the other animals that roamed the planet some 70 million years ago.

As a theropod, Therizinosaurus cheloniformis was not only distantly related to predators such as Tyrannosaurus rex but...

In 1971, the United Kingdom’s coinage evolved from the centuries-old system of pounds, shillings and pence to a new decimal currency.

Far from being an overnight switch, decimalisation took many years of careful planning and also involved a huge information campaign. In order to achieve the monumental challenge of striking of new coins, a new factory was required along with new machinery, production techniques and processes.

Some 50 years later, The Royal Mint celebrates successful Decimal Day with a new 50p commemorative coin that brings the old to mind, carefully selected pre-decimal coins,...

Central Europe’s largest forested area, Kalkalpen National Park is home to 30 different forest ecosystems. Of the park’s 15 endemic vascular plants, the Austrian bellflower is the standout. A familiar sight in the park, the plant’s bluish-purple drooping flowers are a rare sight elsewhere. But you can find one on Alpine Forests, the second coin in the Alpine Treasures series, which highlights the rare species of plants and animals native to the Austrian Alps.

Located in Upper Austria, Kalkalpen National Park was established in 1997. Still largely untouched by human habitation...