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. This coin is available as gold Proof, silver Proof and Brilliant Uncirculated editions, in addition to two colour-printed editions, one struck as a silver Proof edition and the other as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition.