United Kingdom: 318 Specimens, Including Ichthyosaurs, Fish and Crustaceans Among Other Creatures, Some of Which Could Be New Species

The collection, which was amassed by a private fossil collector, consisted of 318 specimens, including ichthyosaurs, fish and crustaceans among other creatures, some of which could be new species. The fossils were initially offered for purchase to the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London and to Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales) for what was described by one source as an “eight-figure sum”. Neither institution bought the collection, with both citing a lack of funding.

An email seen by the Guardian suggested the NHM had “no money at all” for acquisitions. One curator said that while there had long been a hope that the collection could be kept in the UK, it also posed issues around storage space, curatorial time and packaging materials. I don’t blame the collectors at all. That’s all they can do, the curator added.