Great White Shark Silver

Tokelau's Marine Life Silver Bullion

The Great White Shark coin is part of Tokelau's ocean life silver bullion series, a programme celebrating South Pacific marine biodiversity with a different species featured each year. Released in 2015 as the second coin in the series (following the Kakahi/Yellowfin Tuna in 2014), it carries the Tokelauan name "Mokoha" alongside its English name, providing a window into a Polynesian language spoken by very few people worldwide.

The 1 oz silver coin is the primary format, struck in .999 fine silver with a $5 NZD face value. Tokelau uses New Zealand currency, and the coins are legal tender of this New Zealand territory in the South Pacific. The series is minted by the New Zealand Mint, and the estimated mintage of 500,000 for the 1 oz version positions it as affordable bullion with moderate collector appeal. Additional formats include 1/2 oz and 5 oz silver coins.

The broader series was planned as a 12-coin programme, with releases from 2014 onwards covering species including Hakula (Sailfish), Kapoa (Barracuda), Mago-Taguta (Leopard Shark), Fonu (Loggerhead Turtle), Hahave (Flying Fish), and more. The Great White Shark remains the most popular and recognisable issue in the series, commanding slightly higher secondary market premiums than later releases.

Great White Shark Coin Dimensions

The reverse features the great white shark in a predatory pose. The obverse carries Queen Elizabeth II's profile portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley (later issues in the series transitioned to King Charles III) alongside the Tuluma, a traditional Tokelauan container used for storing fishhooks and other valuables. The Tuluma is an appropriate symbol for a marine-themed series.

Complete Ocean Life Series

The series has included both silver and gold versions from 2020 onwards. The matte finish is characteristic of the series and should not be mistaken for a defect.

Tokelau Silver Coin Tax Treatment

The Great White Shark coins are legal tender of Tokelau, a dependent territory of New Zealand, with $5 NZD face values. Tokelau does not have its own currency; coins are denominated in New Zealand Dollars.

New Zealand: Fine silver bullion is GST-exempt when it meets the 99.9% purity threshold. The .999 purity qualifies. As Tokelau is a New Zealand territory, the legal tender connection is direct.

United States: The .999 purity meets IRS requirements for silver IRA eligibility. State sales tax treatment varies across jurisdictions. Capital gains on silver bullion are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28% for long-term holdings.

United Kingdom: Silver coins carry the full 20% VAT rate as non-UK legal tender. There is no CGT exemption; only UK Royal Mint legal tender coins (such as the Silver Britannia) qualify. The margin scheme reduces effective VAT on pre-owned examples.

Australia: Silver at 99.9% purity or higher in standard bullion coin form is GST-exempt. The .999 purity meets this threshold.

Canada: Silver at .999 purity exceeds the 99.9% GST/HST exemption threshold.

European Union: Silver coins are subject to standard VAT rates in each member state (17-27%). The German margin scheme (Differenzbesteuerung) may apply to pre-owned coins. Estonia applies 0% VAT on legal tender silver coins.

Singapore and Hong Kong: Singapore exempts qualifying Investment Precious Metals from GST. Hong Kong has no sales tax on precious metals.

Great White Shark vs Other Marine-Themed Silver

The Perth Mint's Hammerhead Shark and other shark-themed releases carry the weight of a major sovereign mint, with higher recognition and typically stronger resale values. Perth Mint products are struck at .9999 purity (one nine higher than the Tokelau's .999) and benefit from the Australian government's institutional backing. The premium difference reflects this quality gap, and buyers prioritising long-term resale should factor in the Perth Mint's deeper secondary market.

The Fiji Taku (Hawksbill Turtle) coin, also struck by the New Zealand Mint, is the closest relative within the same production house. The Taku featured Pacific Island legal tender status and a marine theme, but with unlimited mintage and more mass-market positioning. The Great White Shark's estimated 500,000 mintage sits between the Taku's open mintage and the tight limits of premium collector series. Later issues in the Tokelau series reduced mintage further (the 2016 Sailfish was limited to 250,000), creating some year-to-year collector differentiation.

The Canadian Predator series from the Royal Canadian Mint includes shark designs with .9999 purity and government mint backing. These command higher premiums but offer better institutional quality assurance and wider dealer availability across North America. The Royal Mint has not produced a dedicated shark bullion coin, making the Tokelau series one of fewer options for buyers specifically seeking shark-themed silver bullion.

Tokelau is one of the smallest territories in the world by population (roughly 1,500 people across three atolls) and has no airport. Access is by boat from Samoa. Despite this, the territory issues a notable volume of collector and bullion coins through licensing arrangements. The educational value of the series, with each coin highlighting a different marine species and providing Tokelauan-language names, gives it a distinct character that purely bullion-focused products lack. For buyers who want the shark theme at a moderate premium with genuine legal tender status, the Great White Shark fills a specific niche.