| Montana's
Tyrannosaurus rex is starring on a new Montana license
plate issued by the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State
University-Bozeman. The museum's specialty license plate
features a skeletal T. rex prowling a blue Big Sky and
invites people to "Explore Montana." |
| The
first plate was sold on October 4 in Liberty County. In
the intervening three months, 180 sets of plates have
been sold in 21 of Montana's 56 counties, from Poplar
to Eureka. The plate, which seems to appeal to "kids of
all ages," is proving most popular in Yellowstone County.
|
| Those
wishing to display the king of carnivores on their vehicles
donate $50.00 to the Museum of the Rockies and fill out
an application to take to their local county treasurer's
office. Unlike most specialty plates, the T. rex plate
is a permanent license plate and no annual donation or
application are required. The plate can be personalized
as well, using six characters or less, by paying a separate
personalized plate fee. |
| License
plate proceeds are used to support the general operations
of the museum, including the preparation of fossils such
as the one featured on the plate. Montana's T. rex was
discovered by Kathy Wankel of Angela at Fort Peck Reservoir
and the fossils were excavated by its paleontology crew
in 1990. The full skeleton was cast in bronze and placed
on the lawn where he now welcomes visitors to the museum. |
|
Applications are available at the Museum of the Rockies
and can be requested by calling the museum at (406) 994-5275,
or they can be picked up at the motor vehicle department
of any county courthouse. |
