1 oz Great White Shark Silver Coin

The 1 oz Tokelau Great White Shark Silver Coin

The Great White Shark, or Mokoha in Tokelauan, is the 2015 release in Tokelau's ocean life silver bullion programme, a series planned to run for 12 issues celebrating South Pacific marine biodiversity. It contains 1 troy ounce of .999 fine silver, carries a $5 NZD face value (Tokelau has no currency of its own and denominates in New Zealand dollars), and was struck by the New Zealand Mint under licence from Tokelau's government, sometimes credited as Highland Mint in US distribution. Estimated mintage for the 1 oz version is around 500,000.

That mintage figure positions the coin precisely: high for a Tokelau issue, but tiny compared with mainstream sovereign bullion such as the American Silver Eagle, whose mintages exceed 30 million. The result is affordable bullion with moderate collector appeal rather than a scarce proof. The reverse shows a great white shark in a predatory pose, and the series' characteristic matte finish gives the coins a look distinct from mirror-finish bullion. Dealers note the matte surface can show minor blemishes as manufactured; this is a trait of the series, not a defect.

Within the broader ocean life series, which moved from the Yellowfin Tuna (2014) through the Sailfish, Barracuda, and later species, the Great White Shark is generally the most popular and recognisable issue, commanding slightly higher secondary-market premiums than the Sailfish or Barracuda releases. For buyers browsing 1 oz silver coins, it offers genuine legal tender status and an unusual origin story at bullion-adjacent pricing.

Great White Shark 1 oz Specifications

The obverse carries Ian Rank-Broadley's right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II together with the Tuluma, a traditional Tokelauan box used for storing fishhooks and other valuables, a fitting emblem for a marine-themed series. Later issues in the programme transitioned to King Charles III. The Mokoha was also produced in 1/2 oz silver, 5 oz silver, and 0.5 g gold versions alongside the standard 1 oz coin.

Security relies on the reeded edge, the government-backed legal tender status, and the distinctive matte finish rather than the advanced features found on coins like the Canadian Maple Leaf. At 38.75 mm diameter and 3.8 mm thickness the coin sits at the larger end of the 1 oz silver range, so weight and dimension checks remain practical verification tools.

Tokelau Shark Coin Tax Treatment by Country

The coin is legal tender of Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand, backed by its $5 NZD denomination. For tax purposes the .999 silver content does most of the work.

• USA: IRA-eligible, as the .999 fineness meets the IRS minimum of 99.9% for silver. No federal sales tax; state treatment varies, with roughly 35 states exempting bullion. Long-term gains are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate. The US is the coin's primary international market.
• UK: Subject to 20% VAT as non-domestic silver bullion, and no capital gains tax exemption since it is not UK legal tender.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt; the federal exemption applies to silver coins refined to at least 99.9% purity.
• New Zealand: Fine silver of 99.9% purity or higher in coin form is GST-exempt, which the .999 fineness meets. The NZD denomination gives the coin a direct legal tender connection to New Zealand. There is no formal capital gains tax.
• Australia: Investment-grade silver at 99.9% purity or higher is GST-free.
• EU: Full local VAT applies to silver, at rates between 17% and 27% depending on member state.
• Singapore and Hong Kong: Singapore exempts qualifying investment precious metals from GST and has no capital gains tax; Hong Kong levies no sales tax or duties at all.

A Bullion Series from Three Atolls

Tokelau is one of the smallest territories in the world: roughly 1,500 people across three atolls totalling about 12 square kilometres, with no airport and access only by boat from Samoa. Despite this, it issues a surprising volume of collector and bullion coinage through licensing arrangements with the New Zealand Mint, a private company that strikes the coins under licence from Tokelau's government.

The ocean life series launched in 2014 with the Kakahi (Yellowfin Tuna) and has featured a different marine species each year, named in both English and Tokelauan: the Mokoha (Great White Shark, 2015), Hakula (Sailfish, 2016, with mintage cut to 250,000), Kapoa (Barracuda, 2017), Mago-Taguta (Leopard Shark, 2018), Fonu (Loggerhead Turtle, 2019), Hahave (Flying Fish, 2020, the first year to add a 1 oz gold version), Tautu (Porcupine Fish, 2021), Hakuhakulele (Lionfish, 2022), and Laulaufau (Longfin Bannerfish, 2024). The programme was planned as a 12-coin series, and at least ten species have appeared so far.

The Tokelauan names give each coin a linguistic footnote: Tokelauan is a Polynesian language spoken by very few people worldwide, and the series doubles as a small showcase for it. The educational framing extends to the designs themselves, each highlighting a different species of South Pacific marine life. The shared obverse pairs the royal effigy with the Tuluma container, an object from Tokelauan daily life, anchoring the series to its issuing territory in a way many licensed Pacific island coins do not attempt.

Shark Coin vs Other Marine-Themed Silver

Shark-themed silver bullion is a small field, and the Tokelau coin's main rival is the Perth Mint's Australian Hammerhead Shark, which comes from a major sovereign mint with far broader recognition and correspondingly higher premiums. Buyers paying up for the Perth name get easier resale; buyers choosing the Tokelau coin get a lower entry price and a more unusual issue.

From the same minting house, the Fiji Taku (Hawksbill Turtle) is the closest stablemate: also struck by the New Zealand Mint, also Pacific island legal tender, also marine-themed. The Taku had unlimited mintage and was positioned as a more mass-market product, whereas the Great White Shark's ~500,000 mintage and series structure give it slightly more collector shape. The Royal Canadian Mint's Predator series also includes shark designs, with higher recognition, .9999 purity, and government mint backing; it competes at a higher premium tier.

Notably, the Royal Mint has never produced a dedicated shark bullion coin, which leaves the Tokelau series as one of the few options for shark-themed silver at bullion pricing. Against mainstream 1 oz sovereign coins like the 1 oz silver Maple Leaf, the Tokelau coin trades recognition for novelty: government silver coins typically carry 15-25% premiums and the tightest buyback spreads, while licensed Pacific issues sell on theme and price. Within Tokelau's own series, the Great White Shark remains the issue with the strongest secondary-market demand.