10 New Hampshire Goldback | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

Hundreds of New Hampshire patriots, six British defenders, roughly 100 barrels of gunpowder and 16 cannons carried away. The 10 Goldback shows the moment just after that raid, and it is the debut of Foresight in the Goldback series.

The artwork

The virtue is Prospicientia, Foresight, in her first appearance. She sits on a cannon on the shore of the Atlantic, with Fort Constitution — formerly Fort William and Mary — across the bay. The scene is set in the minutes after New Hampshire's Sons of Liberty took the fort.

The history behind it is worth knowing, because the design is built entirely on it. An earlier and far less celebrated ride by Paul Revere brought word that General Thomas Gage was coming down the coast and would arrive within days to secure the fort's supplies. New Hampshire understood immediately that this was a race, and that a reinforced fort would hand the British a serious advantage.

What followed is the reason the virtue is Foresight:

• Hundreds of men were organised and mobilised from the Portsmouth area, gathering more on the way.
• They overran the six men posted at the fort, facing three active cannons and musket fire.
• They took down the British flag and stripped the fort of around 100 barrels of gunpowder, muskets, ammunition and 16 cannons.
• All of it was done on less than a day's notice, and finished several days before Gage arrived to find the place empty.

Those supplies went on to serve the war effort in many later battles, and the raid is arguably one of the first engagements of the Revolutionary War. Prospicientia is drawn calm rather than jubilant, because the point of the design is the peace that comes from being prepared before the conflict arrives. The caption below her reads “Look Forward”.

Also present are a humpback whale, the USS Raleigh as one of the original ships of the Continental Navy, and a variant of the “An Appeal to God” flag first flown on George Washington's naval ships.

Who this note suits

The 10 holds 1/100 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold, twice the metal of the 5. New Hampshire is one of the earlier state series, so it appeals to collectors who care about release order, and the 10 is the point where the premium per gram begins to ease off the smaller notes.

It is also the note to pick if the history is the draw, since this is the most narrative design in the series.

The plain downside: gold per pound spent. The premium over the gold price is still high at this weight, and a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar gives you more metal for the same money every time. This is a collectable containing real gold, not a bullion purchase.

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
• 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 New Hampshire Series

Each denomination carries its own original artwork and a proportional quantity of 24-carat gold. View all New Hampshire Goldbacks or browse every Goldback series.