2 Utah Goldback - Alpha Edition (α) | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

Most rescue scenes are painted after the danger has passed. The 2 Utah Goldback catches its subject in 1848, crickets still in the fields, gulls only just arriving — gratitude offered before the outcome is certain.

The artwork

The note gives its face to Gratia, the personification of grace. She is a pioneer woman in a moment of deep gratitude during the Miracle of the Gulls of 1848, when flocks of California gulls came down on the settlers' fields and ate the crickets that were destroying their crops.

The gulls above her stand for deliverance arriving from a quarter nobody was watching. Placing her in the middle of the crisis rather than at the end of it is the whole point of the design: humility and thanksgiving offered while the danger is live is what separates grace from ordinary relief.

Along the bottom runs the enduring principle: “The Lord will provide.” — Genesis 22:14.

Who this note suits

The 2 is a set-builder. It fills the step between the 1 and the 5, and it is a sensible choice for anyone assembling the Utah run in order, or buying a small stack of low denominations to give away rather than one larger note to keep. As an Alpha Edition it also appeals to collectors who track the Alpha marking across a series.

Gold content is 1/500 troy oz of 24-carat gold, twice the metal of a 1 Goldback and five hundred notes to the troy ounce.

Said plainly: the premium over the gold price on a 2 Goldback is substantial. Artwork, polymer, printing and manufacture are all recovered from a small quantity of metal, and the smaller the denomination the harder that premium bites. Anyone whose priority is gold per pound should be buying a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar instead. Buy this for the artwork, the format and the collection.

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 1/500 troy oz (0.002 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Edition: Alpha (α)
• Metal content: 0.002 troy oz
• Purity: .999
• Thickness: 0.10 mm
• Size: 6.5 cm x 12.38 cm (2.56 in x 4.875 in)
• Manufactured in the USA.

The Utah Series

Utah was the first Goldback state series, and in 2026 it became the first to be refreshed. Each denomination carries its own original artwork and a proportional quantity of 24-carat gold. View all Utah Goldbacks or browse every Goldback series.