DIPLODOCUS DINOSAUR FOSSIL IN BOX SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS

Late Jurassic, North America

Diplodocus was a huge sauropod. At 85 feet long, it was the longest dinosaur unearthed to date. It was characterized by an extremely long neck and a whiplash tail, with a tiny head mounted on the end of a slender neck. These animals were herding and browsing creatures, as indicated by fossil foot-prints found in the mud. We can surmise by the long necks of these creatures that they were for forage higher up in the trees where other dinosaurs could not. Despite its huge size and length, Diplodocus only weighed about 10 tons; about 1/10th of its sauropod relative, Brachiosaurus. This is because the neck and tail vertibrae had been reduced to lightweight bony struts, complete with latticework to save weight, yet be able to withstand maximum stress. The diplodocid family lived worldwide during the late Jurassic Period and into the Cretaceous period but then declined with only a few species left in eastern Asia.

This medallion was sculpted by Don Everhart as part of the Fossil Collection of the Society of Medalists. Don has been recognized for his artistry and leadership, and served as the President of the American Medallic Sculpture Association for the term 1992-1994. He began his artisitic careeer as an illustrator, then worked as a Sculptor-in-Residence at the Franklin Mint. In 1980 he established his own studio and he has been elected as a Sculptor Member of the prestigious National Sculpture Society.

The packaging for this medallion is reminiscent of the crates archeologists might use to ship fossils uncovered in the field. The pine box slides open to reveal the contents, and the outside is stamped "Dinosaur Fossils" and "Handle with Care".