On the cutting edge of the Ice Age

With large, razor-sharp fangs, the scimitar cat (Homotherium serum) is arguably one of the most awe-inspiring animals of the Ice Age.

The scimitar cat was roughly the size of a lion, but with a lighter body that gave it more running flexibility than its Ice Age cousins, the saber-tooth cat and American lion. It had a short tail likethe lynx, long, powerful forelimbs but poorly developed hindquarters that gave it a hyena-like stance.

While most cats see best at night, scimitar skulls have brain impressions indicating it could also see well in daylight, like the modern cheetah.

This coin is the second issue of the Prehistoric Animals (2007-2010) collection.
The first coin of the serie, released in 2007, depicts the Wooly mammoth.
The second coin of the serie, released in 2008, depicts the Scimitar cat.
The third coin of the serie, released in 2009, depicts the Steppe bison.
The fourth and the last coin of the serie, released in 2010, depicts the Jefferson ground sloth.