10 Arizona Goldback - Alpha Edition (α) | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

The 10th Cavalry on the 10 Goldback is no coincidence. This denomination is given over to the Buffalo Soldiers who served at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona.

The artwork

The virtue is Virtus — Valor. The regiment it honours patrolled the frontier, protected settlers and built a great deal of the infrastructure that opened the territory to everyone who came after.

A rider carries the flag at the centre of the design, standing for courage, excellence and honour held on to under pressure — pressure that frequently came from the country these men were serving.

The inscription reads: “Let hardship forge you, not harden you.” It is the sharpest line in the Arizona series. The valor being described is not one moment of bravery but the longer decision to keep serving well in conditions that would have excused bitterness.

This is an Alpha Edition note, identified by the small α symbol beside the mintage date on the note itself — not by the serial number.

Who this note suits

The 10 holds 1/100 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold, ten times the 1 and the point in the series where the premium per gram becomes noticeably more sensible. For collectors who want real gold weight in a note rather than a token amount, this is usually the denomination to reach for.

It is also a considered gift rather than a novelty one. The subject carries weight, which suits marking something that matters.

Set against that: the Alpha premium sits on top of the standard Goldback premium, and Alpha designation buys you first-production status and collector demand, not extra metal. Anyone buying purely on gold per pound should be looking at a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar instead.

UK buyer notes

Yard Mint supplies Goldbacks from UK stock. They are treated as VAT-exempt investment-gold wafers, so there is no VAT to add at checkout.

Goldbacks are not UK legal tender. They can be bought, owned, sold, collected and voluntarily exchanged where both parties agree, but no UK business is required to accept one. They also do not share the Capital Gains Tax exemption that applies to Britannias and post-1837 Sovereigns, which are sterling currency. VAT and CGT are separate questions with different answers.

Resale depends on the gold price, the condition of the note and buyer demand at the time. A collector premium is not guaranteed.

This is general information, not personal tax or investment advice. Tax treatment depends on current rules and individual circumstances.

• Contains 1/100 troy oz (0.01 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Edition: Alpha (α)
• Metal content: 0.01 troy oz
• Purity: .999
• Thickness: 0.10 mm
• Size: 6.5 cm x 14.28 cm (2.56 in x 5.625 in)
• Manufactured in the USA.

The Arizona Series

Each denomination carries its own original artwork and a proportional quantity of 24-carat gold. View all Arizona Goldbacks, read the Arizona collector guide, or browse every Goldback series.