The scimitar cat (Homotherium serum) is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring animals of the Ice Age. Famous for its knife-like fangs, the scimitar cat's teeth were shorter than those of the better known sabre-tooth cat, Smilodon fatalis, but were equally lethal: its sabres were coarsely serrated, just like a steak knife, making them perfectly suited for slicing through the soft flesh of its prey.

This fierce feline was a master at pursuing prey, which consisted of ungulates including horses and camels. The scimitar cat would charge from behind a bush or tall grasses with blinding swiftness, bowl over its intended prey and slash the throat with its lethal canines. Then, once the uproar subsided, the cat dragged its latest meal to its den.

It was roughly the size of a lion, but with a lighter body that gave it more running flexibility than its Ice Age cousins, other sabre-tooth cats and the American lion. It had a short tail like a lynx, and long, powerful forelimbs but slightly shorter hind legs that gave it a hyena-like stance.

This fascinating cat ranged from Beringia, a prehistoric grassland region from Siberia to Alaska too dry for glaciers, all the way to southern North America by way of the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Alberta. Having gone extinct sometime between 13,000 and 11,000 years ago, the scimitar cat's demise was likely linked to that of the large Ice Age herbivores.

The first coin in this series—the Wooly Mammoth—sold out. Order your Scimitar Sabre-Tooth Cat before it's too late!

Special features:
To ensure a high degree of scientific accuracy, the design was verified by palaeontologists of the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta.
Stunningly luxurious with the flawless mirrored background of a proof finish.
Beautifully crafted in 99.99% pure silver with a limited mintage of only 7,500 coins
worldwide—highly collectible!

A master at pursuing its prey, the scimitar cat (Homotherium serum) is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring animals of the Ice Age. With its immense fangs and powerful physical features, it embodies all the ferocious strength that makes prehistoric animals endlessly fascinating. This beautifully crafted coin is the second issue in the Royal Canadian Mint’s popular Prehistoric Animals series, and offers a privileged glimpse of Canada’s prehistoric era by showcasing a powerful predator in stunning detail.

Canadian artist Julius Csotonyi has crafted a heart-stopping image of a scimitar cat as it explodes from its hiding place to ambush its prey, its mouth agape as it readies its fangs for their lethal strike. The background shows the rolling hills and grasses that would likely have typified the prehistoric grassland where this awesome predator lived.