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

Idaho is one of the few places on earth where star garnet occurs naturally, which is how it earned the name the Gem State. The 10 works that fact into a scene from the Owyhee Mountains at the height of the silver rush in the early 1860s.

The artwork

The virtue is Perseverantia, perseverance, told through Silver City — one of the most important mining communities Idaho ever had. A miner rests beside a cart loaded with raw silver ore. Behind her rise the Idaho Hotel and the Masonic Lodge.

The state's gemstones are worked into the composition rather than displayed:

• Star garnet, Idaho's official gemstone and the reason for the Gem State nickname.
• Sapphire, opal and jasper.
• Aquamarine, topaz and quartz.

Along the bottom runs a passage from James 1:12 — "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial."

Who this note suits

The 10 holds 1/100 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold, ten times the 1 Goldback. It is the denomination that starts to look like a store of value rather than a novelty, and it is a sensible anchor note for a state set: one 10 alongside a handful of smaller denominations gives you the full range of artwork without a large outlay.

The honest position on price is unchanged at this size. Goldbacks carry a substantial premium over the gold price because the design, the foil manufacturing and the distribution all have to be paid for, and moving up the denominations narrows that gap without closing it. A one-ounce Britannia or a plain cast bar remains the cheaper route to gold by weight. The 10 is bought for the artwork and the format, with the gold content as the floor underneath it.

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
• Manufactured in the USA.

The Idaho Series

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