PARIS, France – In a rare occurrence, a perfectly preserved dinosaur skeleton known as “Barry,” will go up for auction in Paris next month. This skeletal marvel is of a Camptosaurus dinosaur, a species that existed approximately 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period.

The discovery of Barry dates back to the ’90s in Wyoming, where it was initially restored in 2000 by Barry James, a renowned paleontologist from whom the dinosaur derived its name. A further intricate restoration of this relic from the prehistoric age was carried out in 2020 by the Italian laboratory Zoic. Notably, Barry, a sizable creature, stands at 2.1 meters or roughly 6.9 feet tall with a length that extends out to 5 meters or approximately 16.4 feet.

Alexandre Giquello, a representative from the Paris auction house Drouot, where Barry will go under the hammer, emphasized the rarity and exceptional condition of the dinosaur skeleton. According to Giquello, while 90% of the dinosaur’s skull is complete, the rest of the skeleton reaches an impressive wholeness of roughly 80%.

In the world of art and antiquities, dinosaur specimens are scarcely seen in the market. Giquello shared that such sales worldwide occur just a handful of times per year, adding to the unique nature of this event.

The auction house plans to reveal Barry to the public by mid-October, building anticipation before the dinosaur skeleton goes on sale on October 20. Given the exceptional nature of this specimen, experts anticipate the sale could possibly bring in as much as €1.2 million or $1.28 million.