A small gold coin featuring an ammonite in detailed relief complements the popular first silver issue of the Evolution of Life series.

Ammonites superficially resemble snails and nautilus, the marine creatures were however more closely related to octopus and squid.Gas-filled chambers within the shell allowed them to move up and down the water column in search of prey and to avoid predation by Mosasaurs.

While fossils of the Ammonite’s head and tentacles are extremely rare, their shells are among the most abundant fossils and can in fact aid in determining the age of the rock they are found in.