 Cope sold his collections to the American Museum of Natural History in 1895 ; his set of 10 @,@ 000 American fossil mammals sold for $ 32 @,@ 000 , lower than Cope 's asking price of $ 50 @,@ 000 . The purchase was financed by the donations from New York 's high society . Cope sold three other collections for $ 29 @,@ 000 . While his collection contained more than 13 @,@ 000 specimens , Cope 's fossil hoard was still much smaller than Marsh 's collection , valued at over a million dollars . The University of Pennsylvania bought part of Cope 's ethnological artifact collection for $ 5 @,@ 500 . The Academy of Natural Sciences , Philadelphia 's foremost museum , did not bid on any of Cope 's sales due to bad blood between Cope and the museum 's leaders ; as a result , many of Cope 's major finds left the city . Cope 's proceeds from the sales allowed him to rehire Sternberg to prospect for fossils on his behalf . 
