In the 1980s, British astronomer and science fiction writer Fred Hoyle caused a stir (though I don't think he was taken very seriously) when he wrote a book titled "The Archaeopteryx Fossil: A Mystery," in which he declared both the London and Berlin specimens of Archaeopteryx to be "utter fakes with feathers drawn onto a Compsognathus fossil." This time, however, my topic is my humble (and probably trivial) question about the Berlin Archaeopteryx specimen.

Looking back, nearly 20 years ago, I saw an advertisement in a model magazine and decided to shell out a hefty 80,000 yen for a replica of the "Archaeopteryx Berlin specimen." This replica was the culprit that dragged me, who had been diligently making dinosaur models and collecting small items, into the bottomless pit of collecting exorbitant replicas and even more expensive actual fossils. It still stands out prominently under the lights today (Photo 1). Ever since I bought it, I've noticed that the claws on the forelimbs of my Archaeopteryx don't have circular indentations (Photo 2). The real specimen at Humboldt University, of course, and most replicas have these indentations (Photo 3). I had given up, thinking I had been duped into buying a poorly made replica, but recently, I decided to investigate and found that older encyclopedia photos seem to show specimens without the indentations. There were also replicas in museums that I've seen that lacked the indentations.

This is a big difference from current versions.
The Berlin specimen has been cleaned several times (Hoyle wrote that the London specimen was, too). Could it be that there are older versions of replicas? Also, the meaning of the circular indentations isn't entirely clear to me (Are they to emphasize the claws?). Does anyone know the truth about "the evolution of the Berlin specimen and the mystery of the circular indentations"?
The Berlin specimen can now be had for around 30,000 yen, and (troublingly) there are many colorized versions flooding the market. I'm barely suppressing the urge to buy another definitive version...
To conclude, in true Treasure House fashion, here are some Archaeopteryx goods featuring only the Berlin specimen.

Photo 4 Postcard-sized plaster miniature. Very well made. They say it uses Solnhofen stone as material. Photo 6 Handkerchief, an original product of the National Museum of Nature and Science, purchased at their old shop. It was sold as a set with the London specimen. I think it's a very thoughtful souvenir, but I wonder if they still sell it... Photo 8 A Chinese handicraft that can only be described as a bad joke. They might as well have given it wings. It was once listed on Yahoo Auctions as a real dinosaur fossil! No buyers, of course. Photo 10 Hat and T-shirt from outdoor brand ARCTERYX. Clearly featuring the Berlin specimen.

Photo 5 Paper letter set, also featured in Treasure House Vol. 13. Looks so real you might mistake it for an actual replica! Photo 7 An item from the "My Elementary School" gashapon series. About 4 cm. Apparently set as equipment in a science room. It's a shame it's missing its tail. Photo 9 Resin 1/2 scale garage kit. Purchased at Wonder Festival a long time ago. What a surprise to find a modeler who makes such understated pieces!