Size matters, but not when it comes to dinosaur skeletons. In this case, skeletal completeness, history, and bone quality all dictate the price, overpowering simple scale. A case in point is the sale of Jodi the Nanotyrannus. Until recently, it was not even recognized as a separate dinosaur category. Perhaps this is why the nearly 20-foot-long prehistoric marvel, carrying an estimated $9 million price tag, shattered records by becoming the second most expensive dinosaur ever sold at auction. The 67-million-year-old Nanotyrannus skeleton sold Tuesday at Sotheby’s New York for $47.3 million including fees, fetching more than five times its high estimate.
Despite being half Gus’s size, Jodi achieved an amount equal to approximately 94% of Gus’s $50 million price. All it took for Jodi to dethrone Ken Griffin’s Apex and come incredibly close to doing the same to Gus were six intense bidders who turned the tables and placed Jodi among the world’s most expensive dinosaur skeletons. Its fate was sealed in only 12 minutes with the mystery winning buyer bidding by phone. Only a few years ago when Jodi was called Chomper and believed to be a juvenile T. rex, dealer David Aaron presented the fossil at Frieze Masters with a $20 million asking price. A new name and a proper identity took its worth to a whopping $47.3 million despite it being a less familiar dinosaur, proving that rarity remains the deciding factor at auction.
As for Jodi, if the dinosaur could grin it certainly would, but for now Sotheby’s states it is ready for exhibition, mounted on a custom supporting frame with missing sections restored using 3D-printed and sculpted elements. The journey of this remarkable fossil began in 2019 when it was discovered by rancher Jodi Pierson on her land in Montana, a fitting reminder that sometimes the most monumental historical treasures are unearthed through pure serendipity.
