The Royal Mint launches Steppe Mammoth, the first of three 50p coins in its latest foray into the prehistoric world
There’s no finer start to a week than a prehistoric animal coin, and it’s The Royal Mint doing the honours this time around. The mint’s ‘Tales of the Earth’ program started in 2020 with a series of three designs, a practice that came to define the program moving forward. This threesome featured major British discoveries from Victorian times, as did the 2021 trio, which focused on the work of Mary Anning. Last year went with a line-up of the most well-known dinos, headed by T. Rex, of course, which carried the title ‘Iconic Specimens’.
This fourth series moves forward in time to the Cenozoic, and we get three animals that will be considerably more relatable to us than the dinosaurs. Called ‘Ice Age Giants’, the set kicks off with the most recognisable of them all – the Woolly Mammoth, one species of which was called the Steppe Mammoth. It’s hard to believe these were still wandering around the far north of Europe when the Egyptians were building the pyramids!
Tales of the Earth has relied on the considerable talents of palaeo-artist, Robert Nicholls, aided by Natural History Museum palaeobiologist Professor Adrian Lister, and he certainly hasn’t disappointed here. The image of the Mammoth is just outstanding, in my opinion. The piece of fossil at the bottom also returns, but expanded to show a whole skeleton. As before, this is a heptagonal 50p range, and there are 22kt gold, and sterling silver variants, the latter in proof, and proof coloured variants. The round £2/£5 gold and silver variants, from the ‘Iconic Specimens’ trio, are not present.
We also have information on the second and third coins, which you can see further down. The Woolly Rhinoceros, and Giant Deer. Both of these are equally well realised. We really do have to applaud Nicholl’s work on these. A very impressive new set for the legions interested in our fascinating natural past, they come well packaged, especially the awesome frames the coloured silver coins come in. For the budget collector, there are base metal BU versions, with a coloured variant available directly from the mint. As always, please click the banner below to give us a little commission if you’re going to buy, at no cost to you.
PRESS RELEASE
The Royal Mint’s Tales of the Earth collection continues with coins commemorating Ice Age giants, depicting three of the most notable large mammals to exist during this period of history. Sometimes referred to as the Ice Age, the Pleistocene Epoch began around 2.6 million years ago. Large glaciers known as ice sheets spread across the globe, whilst large mammals known as megafauna flourished in the grassy plains alongside them. One of the largest beasts to exist during this period was Mammuthus trogontherii, also known as steppe mammoth.
Enormous in size, this herbivore had an average shoulder height of 4 metres and weighed an average of 10 tonnes. Thought to have developed from an ancestor in China around 2 million years ago, it has several features that distinguish it from other types of mammoths. One of its most notable adaptations are the changes to the molars, which have an increased number of ridges that provided greater resistance to abrasive foods.
Developed in collaboration with the expert guidance of palaeobiologist Professor Adrian Lister from the Natural History Museum, the Steppe Mammoth 2024 UK 50p Coin features artwork by palaeo-artist Robert Nicholls.
DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIAMETER | FINISH | MINTAGE |
£0.5 UKP | 8.00 g of 0.925 silver | 27.3 mm | Proof | 510 |
£0.5 UKP | 8.00 g of 0.925 silver | 27.3 mm | Proof, Colour | 2,510 |
£0.5 UKP | 15.50 g of 0.9167 gold | 27.3 mm | Proof | 60 |
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