Maximus, who is three metres long and in excellent condition, sold for CHF225,000 ($227,000) to a Swiss collector of beautiful objects, according to auction house director Bernard Piguet. He had been valued at between CHF200,000 and CHF300,000.
The dinosaur skeleton can be rapidly dismantled and put back together, like a construction kit. All the pieces are numbered, and when dismantled they can fit into a suitcase.
Curious onlookers showed up for the sale on Tuesday.
The auction was held in a hall and by telephone, with interest also from some potential buyers abroad. While Maximus was the star, the collection also included several other fossils which sold for more modest sums. For example, the tooth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex sold for CHF3,700, and a fossilised dinosaur egg went for CHF2,700.
The person selling all these prehistoric items is a paleontology fan who decided to sell some of his collection to continue funding his passion, according to Piguet.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Valais voters reject plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland have turned down a proposal for the region to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Marie-Antoinette’s jewels soar at ‘once in a lifetime’ sale in Geneva
This content was published on
A royal treasure trove including jewels that belonged to French Queen Marie-Antoinette has fetched CHF53.5 million ($53.2 million).
This content was published on
An original document signed by Swiss reformer John Calvin and dating from 1552 has been returned to the canton of Geneva.
This content was published on
A treasure trove of sketches from the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who wrote The Little Prince, have been found in a house in Winterthur.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.