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About the 1 oz Mermaid & Pearl Silver Coin
The 1 oz Mermaid & Pearl Silver Coin
The Mermaid & Pearl is the 2025 instalment of Scottsdale Mint's annual Mermaid silver coin series, struck in Arizona and issued as legal tender of Samoa with a 2 Tala face value. Each year brings a new reverse design under the mermaid theme; the 2025 coin shows a mermaid with flowing hair reaching toward a glowing pearl, set against waves and coral-inspired patterns, with the Samoa coat of arms on the obverse.
The draw here is limited mintage with annual designs rather than lowest-cost silver. The 2025 Brilliant Uncirculated coin is capped at 10,000 pieces, down from 15,000 for the 2022 and 2023 issues, with smaller Antique (2,000) and Antique Colorized (2,500) runs. By contrast, the mainstream sovereign coins at this weight are minted in unlimited numbers. That scarcity is paired with standard bullion fundamentals: 1 troy oz of .999 fine silver in a 38.8 mm coin, with Scottsdale Mint guaranteeing purity and weight and stating that its bullion is IRA-eligible.
A buyer choosing this coin over a mainstream 1 oz silver coin is paying for design and limited supply. Government 1 oz silver coins typically run 15-25% over spot in normal conditions, and collector-oriented issues sit above the cheapest of them, so stackers focused purely on ounces will do better with high-volume coins or bars. Collectors following the series get a continuing annual programme with multiple finishes per year.
Mermaid & Pearl 2025 Specifications
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Metal | .999 fine silver |
| Weight | 1 troy oz (31.1 g) |
| Diameter | 38.8 mm |
| Thickness | 3.1 mm |
| Face value | 2 Tala (Samoa) |
| Issuing authority | Government of Samoa |
| Manufacturer | Scottsdale Mint |
The 2025 issue comes in several variants: Brilliant Uncirculated (mintage 10,000), Antique (2,000), and Antique Colorized (2,500), plus Alpha Strike versions of each, Scottsdale Mint's anti-tarnish capsule packaging introduced for 2025. Standard BU coins ship in coin zips or tubes of 20. The obverse carries the Samoa coat of arms, which incorporates stylised waves, the Southern Cross constellation, and a Christian cross above the national shield.
Mermaid & Pearl Tax Treatment by Country
The coin is .999 fine silver and legal tender of Samoa only; it has no legal tender status in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada, which shapes its treatment in each market.
- United States: Most states exempt bullion from sales tax, some only above thresholds (for example $1,000 in New York, $500 in Florida). Scottsdale Mint states its bullion is IRA-eligible, and .999 silver meets the IRS fineness line for precious metals IRAs; confirm with your custodian. Long-term gains are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%.
- United Kingdom: Silver coins carry 20% VAT, and as Samoan rather than UK legal tender the coin has no CGT exemption.
- Canada: Silver coins at 99.9%+ purity are GST/HST exempt, which this coin clears at .999.
- Australia: Investment-grade silver at 99.9% purity is GST-free; imported .999 bullion coins generally qualify.
- New Zealand: Fine silver at 99.9%+ purity is GST-exempt.
- Singapore and Hong Kong: Hong Kong applies no sales tax. Singapore's Investment Precious Metals exemption covers qualifying silver at 99.9%+ purity.
The Mermaid Series Since 2018
The Mermaid series belongs to Scottsdale Mint's Pacific-themed silver bullion programme, in which Pacific Island nations license their sovereign authority so a private US mint can issue legal tender coins. The inaugural 2018 release, Mermaid Rising, was issued under Fiji. From 2021 the series moved to Samoa with a consistent 2 Tala face value and has stayed there since.
Each annual coin carries a new subtitle and reverse design on identical core specifications: Pacific Mermaid in 2021, Princess of the Seas in 2022, Mother & Daughter in 2023, and Mermaid & Pearl in 2025. No 2024 release appears in Scottsdale Mint's series archive; the programme went from 2023 straight to 2025. Mintages have tightened over time, from 15,000 BU coins in 2022 and 2023 to 10,000 for 2025. The 2025 issue also added rarer finishes, with 2,000 antique and 2,500 antique colourised coins, plus Alpha Strike variants in Scottsdale Mint's anti-tarnish capsule packaging.
Scottsdale Mint frames the theme around mermaid mythology with roots in ancient cultures, citing lore dating back 8-10 centuries BC including the Assyrian goddess Atargatis. The 2025 reverse continues that tradition, showing a mermaid with flowing hair reaching toward a glowing pearl against wave and coral-inspired patterns, while the obverse carries the Samoa coat of arms with its stylised waves and Southern Cross constellation. The format of annual limited designs in multiple finishes follows the playbook that distinguishes collector-leaning bullion series from the unlimited-mintage sovereign coins, giving each year's issue its own identity within a continuing programme.
Mermaid & Pearl vs Mainstream 1 oz Silver Coins
Against the big sovereign bullion coins, the Mermaid & Pearl competes on scarcity and design rather than cost. The American Silver Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, and Silver Britannia are struck in unlimited quantities, carry the lowest premiums among government coins, and enjoy the deepest resale markets; dealers worldwide buy them on sight. A 10,000-mintage Samoan issue from a private US mint is a thinner market, and resale runs through dealers who handle collector bullion rather than any counter anywhere.
On specifications the differences are modest. The Mermaid & Pearl's .999 purity matches the Eagle, Britannia, and Philharmonic, while the Maple Leaf runs .9999. All are legal tender of their issuing state; the practical distinction is that the Britannia's UK legal tender status earns it a CGT exemption for UK sellers that no Samoan coin can offer.
The closer comparison is with other annual-design series. The Perth Mint's Kookaburra has changed its design every year since 1990, showing how a rotating design builds a collector following over decades; the Mermaid series applies the same formula at much lower mintages. Buyers should be clear about which purchase this is: as pure silver accumulation it costs more per ounce than high-volume coins, but as a series collectable it offers capped supply, annual variety, and multiple finishes that the mainstream coins do not attempt.
1 oz Mermaid & Pearl Silver Coin: frequently asked questions
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The Mermaid & Pearl is a 1 troy oz, .999 fine silver coin struck by Scottsdale Mint in Arizona. It is an instalment in an ongoing annual mermaid-themed series issued under the authority of the Government of Samoa, with a face value of 2 Tala. Each release features a new reverse design while keeping the same core specifications.
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Yes. The coin carries a face value of 2 Tala and is struck under the authority of the Government of Samoa, making it legal tender in Samoa. This distinguishes it from a privately minted round, which carries no government denomination. It is not legal tender in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada, though it meets standard investment-silver purity thresholds in those markets.