Silver Investment Coin Ice Age - Saber Tooth Tiger 2 Oz 2023

Ice Age - Sabre-Tooth Cat

Minted by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2023, this 2 Oz (62.67 g) silver investment coin is part of the Ice Age series and is made from the purest 99.99% silver. For the opening coin of the series, the sabre-toothed tiger was chosen.

The reverse of the coin features the sabre-toothed tiger as a deadly Ice Age predator. The beast with its long fangs and sharp claws is depicted in a high jump against the backdrop of an inhospitable landscape. The motif is complemented by the purity marking "9999", the initials of the artist "JC" and a small maple leaf with the numeral "23" (visible under a magnifying glass), which is also an anti-counterfeiting element. The security mark is made using the laser microfabrication technique used on Canadian investment coins issued since 2014. The circumference of the coin, which is formed by radial spokes, features the inscription "CANADA", the year of issue "2023" and the metal and weight information "FINE SILVER 2 OZ ARGENT PUR".
Saber-toothed cats, scientifically inaccurately called saber-toothed tigers, are members of the extinct subfamily Machairodontinae. Many tribes of saber-toothed cats evolved independently around the world as early as 13 million years ago. A typical feature of saber-toothed tibiae are the long curved fangs used to capture and kill prey. The longest canines, measuring up to 28 cm, have been found in the youngest genus, Smilodon, which became extinct around 10,000 years ago. The size of its canines was matched by its mouth, which could open almost twice as wide as today's lions. It hunted large herbivores, which it brought down with a quick leap and killed by biting through the carotid artery or windpipe. Smilodon became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to climate change and the decline in food of its natural prey. The robust body on short, strong limbs was not adapted to chase smaller and more agile animals, nor to long battles.

The obverse bears the portrait and reign years of Queen Elizabeth II with the initials of the author Susanne Blunt. The background formed by radial rays is completed by the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "D.G.REGINA", the denomination "10 DOLLARS".