Silver Ounce 2014 Kakahi - Yellowfin Tuna, Coin from Tokelau - detailed information

Tokelau, known previously as the Tokelau Islands, is a dependent territory of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. It uses the New Zealand Dollar as circulation currency, but has been issuing a variety of non-circulating coins since 1978, and has also authorised some foreign mints to issue bullion coins under its jurisdiction - including in the internationally popular silver ounce format.

This design is the first issue in a twelve-year series of bullion coins called Marine Life (or Tokelau Sealife), and features the Yellowfin Tuna.

The atolls of Tokelau are home to a myriad of fish that form a fundamental part of every day life for the local people. The wonderful variety of species, shapes and colours of the fish known in the waters surrounding Tokelau provide the perfect design theme for this legal tender coin series. As all the fish have local names as well as their more recognisable English names, both have been used on the coins, bringing a taste of the local culture to the program.

The yellowfin tuna is one of the most popular fish to anglers, both for sport and for food. This fish takes its name from the vivid yellow sickle-shaped fins that extend above and below its sleek body. Tuna are large and powerful ocean swimmers, and the yellowfin is no exception. This fish can grow to almost 3 meters long and 400 kg in weight, and is a voracious predator that preys upon smaller fish and squid. Unlike most fish, tuna are actually warm-blooded, which makes them swift swimmers that can migrate across entire oceans.