Phillips will auction a juvenile triceratops during its high-profile modern and contemporary art sale on November 18. The fossil comes to the block with a presale estimate between $2.5 million and $3.5 million.
Nicknamed “Cera,” this 66-million-year-old specimen, dating to Late Cretaceous period, is the first full juvenile triceratops ever discovered and the first triceratops to come to auction in the US in more than a decade, according to Phillips. (The skeleton’s nickname is a reference to the female triceratops character, Cera, in The Land Before Time film series.)
The fossil being offered, which was excavated in 2016 in South Dakota, represents “well over two-thirds of the original skeleton—significantly more complete than what is typically encountered in comparable specimens of any age,” according to a release, including “key parts of its skeleton, vertebral column, and limbs.”
Cera’s $3.5 million high estimate is a far cry from the record-breaking $44.6 million that Sotheby’s achieved when it sold a 27-foot-long stegosaurus skeleton in 2024. Nicknamed “Apex,” the fossil came to a July auction with a $7.4 million estimate.
For its November auction, Phillips appears to be rejiggering its approach slightly. In addition to the modern and contemporary art it usually offers during the marquee November auctions in New York, it will introduce a new portion within that sale titled “Out of This World,” which will include “extraordinary objects from the natural world.” A Steneosaurus bollensis fossil and a golden nugget nicknamed “The Thunderbolt” are among the other lots in “Out of This World.”
“It is undeniable that today’s global collectors are increasingly drawn to rare and extraordinary objects that transcend traditional collecting categories,” Miety Heiden, chairman of private sales at Phillips, said in a statement. “They seek the unexpected. As a house known for innovation and nimbly meeting market demand, expanding our offering to include wonders of the ancient world is a natural next step for Phillips. The growing appetite for these one-of-a-kind treasures makes this an incredibly exciting moment to bring them to our global audience.”
Her statement continues, “There’s something powerful about the visual dialogue that happens between an awe-inspiring 66-million-year-old lot when presented alongside seminal works from the Modern and Contemporary eras. Client demand has inspired this offering, and we cannot wait to share this opportunity with our global collecting community this fall.”
For “Out of This World,” Phillips has partnered with Zurich-based art dealer Christian D. Link, who has worked on several natural history auctions in Europe, including the sale of the “Trinity” Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton at a Swiss auction in 2023 for 4.8 million francs, or $5.3 million. Link launched the “Out of This World” auction series at Koller Auctions in Zurich, and is now bringing it to Phillips.
“I am thrilled to begin this new chapter with Phillips,” Link said in a statement. “I see my role as opening new paths for discovery and recognize the importance of handling these incredible objects with both scientific accuracy and respect. The appearance of Cera the Triceratops marks a defining moment in my professional journey, one that I am proud to share with a global audience.”
