5 oz Signs of the Zodiac Silver Round

The 5 oz Signs of the Zodiac Silver Round

The 5 oz Signs of the Zodiac piece is the large-format entry in the Tokelau-issued Signs of the Zodiac series, struck in .999 fine silver and covering all twelve western zodiac signs. That western focus is the series' main point of difference: nearly every zodiac-themed bullion range on the market, from the Perth Mint Lunar series to the RCM and Royal Mint lunar coins, follows the Chinese zodiac's rotating annual animal cycle. The Tokelau series is one of the few western zodiac ranges available at close-to-spot bullion pricing, so a buyer born under Leo or Aquarius can hold their own sign rather than a birth-year animal.

The series launched in 2021 with an unusual structure: all twelve signs were released in the same initial year, rather than one design per year. Most zodiac series drip-feed designs annually, which forces collectors to wait a decade or more for a complete set. Here the full set was available immediately, and the series has continued across multiple years in brilliant uncirculated, proof, antique and colourised finishes. The standard BU versions are the bullion offering and were initially an APMEX exclusive for distribution.

At 5 troy ounces (155.517 grams), this piece occupies the middle ground of the silver weight ladder. Five-ounce silver carries premiums between those of 1 oz pieces and 10 oz silver bars, and its appeal is partly aesthetic: the large format gives the zodiac artwork far more canvas than a standard 1 oz piece. Tokelau itself is a dependent territory of New Zealand with a population of roughly 1,500 across three atolls, one of the smallest territories ever to issue bullion coinage. It has no mint of its own; the pieces are struck by private mints under licence from the Tokelau government.

5 oz Signs of the Zodiac Specifications

The series spans multiple sizes, including 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 5 oz and 1 kilo across gold and silver, with the 1 oz silver version as the primary bullion offering. The 1 oz pieces carry a $5 NZD face value as Tokelau legal tender, administered under New Zealand's monetary framework via the Tokelau Act 1948.

Security features are standard for bullion at this price point: detailed engraving that is costly to replicate, a reeded edge on the standard pieces, and official Tokelau government authorisation. No advanced anti-counterfeiting technology such as micro-engraving or holograms is used. Proof versions ship in individual capsules with certificates of authenticity, and the colourised twelve-piece sets, capped at just 100 sets, come in wooden presentation boxes.

Signs of the Zodiac Tax Treatment by Country

As a .999 fine silver product, the 5 oz Signs of the Zodiac is taxed like any other investment silver. Silver receives far less favourable purchase-tax treatment than gold in Europe, and rather better treatment in most of the Commonwealth and Asia.

• UK: 20% VAT on new silver. Pre-owned pieces can be sold under the margin scheme, where VAT applies only to the dealer's margin. Not CGT-exempt; only UK legal tender coins qualify, and Tokelau issues do not.
• EU: full local VAT rates apply to silver, typically 17-27% by country. Margin scheme treatment is available through some dealers for pre-owned stock.
• US: no federal sales tax; roughly 35 states exempt bullion, others tax it or apply purchase thresholds. Long-term capital gains are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate.
• Canada: 0% GST/HST on silver refined to 99.9%+ purity, which .999 silver meets.
• Australia: 0% GST on investment-grade silver at 99.9%+ purity.
• New Zealand: silver at 99.9%+ purity is GST-exempt as fine bullion. The NZD face value does not change the treatment.
• Singapore: 0% GST for qualifying Investment Precious Metals; non-qualifying items attract 9% GST. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: no sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.

Design and Issue History Since 2021

The Signs of the Zodiac series first appeared in 2021, with production continuing across 2022 and 2024 issues. The obverse carries the effigy of the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II on the 2021 and 2022 issues, alongside the Tuluma, the traditional wooden tackle box used by Tokelauan fishermen and the national symbol of the territory. The inscription Tokelau mot e Atua translates as "Tokelau for God." The Tuluma is a design element found on no other bullion issue, a nod to Tokelau's identity as a fishing-dependent atoll nation.

Each reverse depicts the animal or figure of its zodiac sign: the Bull for Taurus, the Lion for Leo, the Ram for Aries, and so on. The sign's name appears above the figure with its astrological symbol above that, and the central design is framed by all twelve zodiac constellations set against a stylised night sky. The artwork is consistent across the range, so a full twelve-sign set displays as a coherent series rather than a grab bag of styles.

Finish variations have multiplied over the run. The standard brilliant uncirculated pieces are the bullion product and carry the lowest premiums. Proof versions offer mirror fields with frosted devices and are capped at 100 sets, among the lowest mintages of any modern zodiac issue. Antique-finish pieces arrived from 2022, and full-colour colourised versions followed from 2024, also limited to 100 sets. Those tiny mintage caps make the collector versions genuinely scarce, while the BU bullion pieces remain widely available and track the silver price.

Signs of the Zodiac vs Lunar and Other Zodiac Series

The dominant zodiac-themed bullion product globally is the Perth Mint Lunar Series III, which follows the Chinese zodiac with one animal per year in .9999 silver at bullion-grade pricing. The Royal Canadian Mint and British Royal Mint run their own Chinese lunar ranges, and the Niue Celestial Animals series covers similar ground through private mints. All of these are well-made and liquid, but none of them depicts the western zodiac. If the goal is a Scorpio or a Gemini rather than a Dragon or a Snake, the Tokelau series is one of very few bullion-priced options, and the only prominent one where all twelve signs were issued at once rather than across twelve years.

The closest western-zodiac competitor is the Austrian Mint's "In the Stars" range, which also covers the twelve western signs. The comparison is not close on price: the Austrian pieces are .925 proof strikes with gemstone inlays, a 30,000 mintage and a collector-level premium. The Tokelau BU pieces are .999 fine and priced near spot, making them the stacker's choice of the two by a wide margin.

Against non-zodiac alternatives at the same weight, the practical benchmark is a generic 5 oz silver bar, where premiums run lower for the same metal content. The Signs of the Zodiac piece justifies its position with the design, the legal tender backing and the series structure. Buyers who want maximum ounces per dollar should take the bar; buyers who want a themed series with a complete, collectable design set will find few rivals at this premium level.