The Royal Canadian Mint’s first release in its Prehistoric Animal series introduces an iconic giant from the ice age: The Woolly Mammoth.

This 2014 1/10 oz $5 Gold coin is composed of .9999 premium proof gold and is graded MS69 by the NGC, meaning its in near-perfect condition. Only 3,000 were minted worldwide, and each will be packaged in a beautiful display box and maroon clamshell.

Micael Skrepnik, a Canadian artist, designed the reverse that features the side view of a colossal mammoth as it roams through the flatlands. Its fur is short due to shedding during the warm seasons. The details of the image were authenticated by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. Inscriptions read CANADA, FINE GOLD 1/10 OZ OR PUR and 9999.

The graceful Queen Elizabeth II is portrayed on the obverse.

Make this MS69 2014 1/10 oz Gold Woolly Mammoth an ideal — and affordable — addition to your portfolio. Snag your limited mintage coin today from Provident Metals!

The Woolly Mammoth

Extinct for roughly 10,000 years, the woolly mammoth once roamed the frigid flatlands of Canada. Related to modern day Asian elephants, the mammal was the size of an African elephant: it weighed more than six tons and grew to be anywhere from nine to 11 feet tall.

Protected by a thick undercoat and a long, shaggy outer layer of fur, the woolly mammoth was well adapted to frigid temperatures. The gigantic creature lived alongside early humans, who hunted them for meat and ivory. The animals died out due to temperature changes, loss of habitat and over-hunting by humans.

The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology

A world renowned center of palaeontological research, the Royal Tyrrell Museum is home to more than 130,000 fossils. A popular Canadian tourist attraction, the museum is located in Alberta, where it is run by the province’s Ministry of Culture. It is nestled in the Late Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation and the museum maintains countless ancient specimens.