ICE AGE · SILVER BULLION
Smilodon fatalis
A close, frontal Smilodon turns the first documented issue into a study of canines, muscle and radial light.
REVERSE DESIGN
The animal advances directly toward the viewer. Its upper canines cut through the open mouth, while both forepaws break across the lower relief. Rock and conifers stay low, leaving the face and claws to control the composition.
PALEONTOLOGY CONTEXT
Smilodon fatalis lived across much of North America during the late Pleistocene. Fossils occur as far north as Alberta. Its elongated upper canines and unusually robust forelimbs distinguish the animal from living big cats.
OBVERSE CHRONOLOGY
The obverse presents Queen Elizabeth II with the 1952–2022 memorial marking. It is the monarch portrait paired with the first documented Ice Age issue.
PLACE IN THE SERIES
The 2023 coin opens the documented chronology. The next issue changes both the prehistoric subject and the monarch portrait.
MINTAGE
The Royal Canadian Mint states no fixed mintage. No final production quantity is presented.
SPECIFICATIONS
ISSUE SOURCES
Issue facts, visible design observations and paleontology are supported by their respective references.