The great hammerhead’s species name «mokarran» comes from an Arabic word meaning «horned», a nod to its hammer-shaped head with an almost straight front edge. This shark, labelled «Sphyrna mokarran», is the subject of Moorea’s 2020 souvenir «dollar».

The head is studded with electroreceptors that let the shark find stingrays buried in the sand; it has been seen knocking a ray to the seabed with a blow and pinning it before eating. The largest of the hammerheads, usually 3.5 to 4.6 m long, it lives in tropical waters including those of French Polynesia, and is now listed as critically endangered.

The obverse shows the coat of arms of French Polynesia and the island’s name «MOOREA». Numista classifies the issue as a fantasy token with no state issuer.

Uncirculated condition, with no traces of circulation. For a shark collection, one of the most recognisable silhouettes in the ocean.

For collectors, VPcoins gathers numismatic items from many countries and eras in one catalogue.