1.5 oz Australian Striped Marlin Silver Coin

The 1.5 oz Perth Mint Striped Marlin Silver Coin

The Australian Striped Marlin is a single-year issue from the Perth Mint, released in 2020 in silver (1.5 oz), gold (1/4 oz), and platinum (1/3 oz). The silver coin contains 1.5 troy ounces of .9999 fine silver with a face value of $2 AUD, carrying Australian legal tender status under the Currency Act 1965.

The coin's most striking visual feature is the "breakout" design by Ing Ing Jong, where the marlin's bill and dorsal fin extend beyond the circular border of the coin, creating a three-dimensional effect. Perth Mint has used this technique on select issues to add visual depth that flat-field designs cannot achieve. The designer's initials (IIJ) are incorporated into the marlin's tail on the reverse.

As a one-off release rather than a recurring annual series, the Striped Marlin has a finite supply. The maximum mintage was set at 75,000 for the silver version. Remaining availability is secondary market stock. This makes it scarcer than ongoing Perth Mint programmes like the Kookaburra or Kangaroo, which produce new coins annually.

The 1.5 oz weight is a non-standard format that Perth Mint has used on various marine and wildlife coins. It creates a larger canvas for detailed designs (40.6 mm diameter, 5 mm thickness) while providing 50% more silver per coin than a standard 1 oz piece. The format competes with the Royal Canadian Mint's own 1.5 oz coins, such as the 1.5 oz Arctic Fox and 1.5 oz Grizzly Bear, which share the same weight at .9999 purity.

The Striped Marlin (Kajikia audax) is one of the fastest fish in the ocean, capable of speeds exceeding 80 km/h. Found throughout the Indo-Pacific, it is a prized species in Australian sport fishing. The coin's dynamic leaping pose captures the marlin mid-breach, an image familiar to anyone who has encountered these fish in person or through nature photography.

Striped Marlin 1.5 oz Silver Specifications

The coin bears the Perth Mint "P" mintmark on the reverse. The designer's initials "IIJ" are engraved into the marlin's tail as a subtle authenticating detail. Also produced in the same programme: a 1/4 oz gold version ($25 AUD, .9999 gold, mintage up to 75,000), a 1/4 oz gold proof, and a 1/3 oz platinum version ($30 AUD, .9995 platinum, mintage up to 25,000). The platinum version is particularly notable as one of the few fractional platinum bullion coins produced by any sovereign mint, with a mintage cap roughly one-third that of the silver coin. The 1.5 oz weight creates a noticeably thicker coin at 5 mm compared to standard 1 oz Perth Mint coins, and the larger diameter of 40.6 mm provides extra surface area for the detailed marine design and the breakout elements where the marlin extends beyond the coin's border.

Tax Treatment of the Striped Marlin Silver Coin

As Australian legal tender from the Perth Mint, the Striped Marlin's tax treatment follows standard rules for sovereign-mint silver bullion.

• Australia: GST-exempt as investment-grade precious metal. The .9999 purity exceeds the 99.9% threshold. Legal tender under the Currency Act 1965.
• United States: IRA-eligible at .9999 purity. Perth Mint coins are generally accepted by precious metals IRA custodians. Most states exempt investment bullion from sales tax. Capital gains at the 28% collectibles rate.
• United Kingdom: 20% VAT applies on silver. Not CGT-exempt (not UK legal tender). Gold version would qualify for VAT exemption as investment gold.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for silver at 99.9%+ purity from a recognised sovereign mint.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for fine silver at 99.9%+ purity. No capital gains tax.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under IPM for qualifying silver coins at 99.9%+ purity with legal tender status.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, import duty, or capital gains tax.
• European Union: Standard VAT rates apply to silver. Gold version would qualify for VAT exemption under the EU investment gold directive.

Striped Marlin vs Other 1.5 oz Silver Coins

The 1.5 oz silver coin market is small, with most offerings coming from the Perth Mint and Royal Canadian Mint.

Against the 1.5 oz Arctic Fox from the RCM, the Striped Marlin shares identical weight and purity (.9999). The Arctic Fox has a 38 mm diameter (matching the Maple Leaf) while the Marlin is slightly larger at 40.6 mm and thicker at 5 mm. Both are single-year issues on the secondary market, though the RCM coin was issued in 2014 and the Perth Mint coin in 2020. The Marlin's breakout design gives it a distinctive visual identity that the Arctic Fox's more traditional composition does not attempt.

The 1.5 oz Grizzly Bear is another RCM 1.5 oz option at .9999 purity, from the earlier Canadian Wildlife format coins. Both are discontinued and trade on the secondary market.

For buyers who simply want 1.5 oz of Perth Mint silver without the single-year scarcity premium, the ongoing Perth Mint series (Kookaburra, Koala, Lunar) are available in 1 oz at .9999 purity. The trade-off is less silver per coin but current production and broader dealer availability.

The Marlin's niche appeal is the combination of marine wildlife theme, the breakout design technique, and the rarity of a single-year Perth Mint issue. For Perth Mint collectors, it fills a specific gap that recurring annual series do not.