10 Oklahoma Goldback | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

Most Goldback artwork uses allegorical figures. This one does not. The two dancers on the 10 Oklahoma are real people, named and living, and that makes it one of the few notes in the whole catalogue with a documented human subject.

The artwork

The virtue is Unitas — Unity — and the setting is an intertribal powwow. Oklahoma is home to more Native American tribal nations than any other state, and the design was developed in collaboration with Native voices rather than about them.

At the centre a woman performs the Fancy Shawl Dance, her fringed shawl held out to mimic fluttering wings and echo the movement of the butterfly and the hummingbird. Behind her a man performs the men's Fancy Dance. He is Mike Pahsetopah of the Osage Nation, a world champion Fancy dancer, cultural ambassador and author. The dancer in front of him is his daughter, Heaven, a celebrated Fancy Shawl dancer who has performed across the United States and on HBO.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the scene was added at Heaven's suggestion, as a symbol of renewal. Elsewhere in the composition:

• A buffalo moves in the distance — Oklahoma's state animal and a Native symbol of survival.
• A raven, keeper of sacred knowledge, carries a flowing ribbon inscribed Unitas.
• Black swallowtail butterflies cross the sky, repeating the flutter of the shawl.
• Indian blanket flowers, Oklahoma's state wildflower, bloom beneath the dancers.

The line inscribed along the bottom of the artwork reads: “Walk in harmony with all things.”

Who this note suits

The 10 is where a Goldback starts to feel like a serious holding rather than a curiosity. It contains 1/100 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold — forty times the gold in a quarter note — and the premium over spot drops accordingly. If you like the format but have been put off by what the small denominations cost per gram, this is the denomination that answers that objection.

It is also the note to choose if the artwork is the reason you are here. The detail rewards a larger canvas, and the 10 is physically bigger than the 1 through 5 notes at 14.28 cm long.

The honest caveat: even at this denomination you are still paying a premium well above the metal value, and you are buying one note rather than the set. If you are collecting Oklahoma properly, the 10 works best alongside the lower denominations rather than on its own.

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 Oklahoma Series

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