A megafauna from Canada’s prehistoric past, Mammuthus primigenius stood over three metres tall at the shoulder and weighed as much as 8 tonnes (17,600 lbs). It is easily recognized by the long, curved tusks that are some of the most distinctive fossils of Canada’s Ice Age. Their internal structure reveals much about each herbivore’s health and surroundings.

The woolly mammoth inhabited the frozen steppes of present-day Canada near the end of the Pleistocene Epoch around 100,000 years ago. Thick fur, thick skin, and a small tail and ears are among the cold-weather adaptations that allowed mammoths to thrive until some 12,000 years ago, when they began disappearing from the mainland, although isolated populations persisted until about 4,000 years ago. In June 2022, a 30,000-year-old mummified woolly mammoth calf, with skin and hair intact, was found in the permafrost of Yukon’s gold fields – the most complete frozen mammoth specimen found in North America to date.

Masterfully crafted by Royal Canadian Mint engravers using a variety of engraving techniques and finishes, which bring depth and texture to this portrait of the famous Ice Age mammal.