How Much Is A T. Rex Fossil Worth? Stan, ‘The Most Expensive Dinosaur,’ Finds A Home

Stan, the fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex, has found a new home after being sold at auction for $31.85 million. The sale, which was organized by Christie’s in New York, set a world record for the most expensive and near-complete dinosaur fossil ever sold.

The T. rex fossil was initially expected to sell for anywhere between $6 million to $8 million. However, due to the pristine condition of the 67-million-year-old artifact, it was able to surpass expectations. BBC reported that Stan’s fossil actually sold for $27.5m on Tuesday, but with additional fees and commission, the total cost came out to around $31.8 million.

Stan was named after Stan Sacrison, the paleontologist who discovered his remains in 1987 in South Dakota. The fossil consists of 199 bones, which is about 70% of its complete skeleton.

“Stan rapidly became the ‘Stan-dard’ for T. rex, given there are so many casts of this extraordinary fossil that have been sold all over the world,” Professor Phil Manning, a British dinosaur expert, told the outlet. “If you have looked at a T. rex in a museum, the chances are it was a cast of Stan. The skull is possibly the best-preserved, given it was found as isolated elements, carefully prepped and beautifully reconstructed.”

Prior to the sale of Stan, "the most expensive dinosaur," CNBC reported that the last complete T. rex was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in 1997 for $8.36 million.

Although Stan’s fossil was sold to an anonymous bidder, Christie’s hinted that more information about where the Tyrannosaurus rex’s fossil will end up could soon be revealed.