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

Description

On 20 December 1951, four light bulbs came on at Experimental Breeder Reactor I in Arco, Idaho. It was the first time in the world that a power plant had generated electricity from nuclear energy, and the 25 Idaho is built around that moment.

The artwork

The virtue is Scientia, knowledge and understanding. A female scientist stands at the centre, a reference to Idaho's contribution to science and engineering and to the women who worked at the highest levels of that research. The equations on the board behind her are the ones that mattered to the breakthrough, not decoration.

The line on the note comes from Philo T. Farnsworth, an Idaho native and the inventor of television: "There's nothing worth knowing that isn't difficult."

Who this note suits

The 25 holds 1/40 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold — twenty-five times the 1 Goldback, and the point in the series where a single note starts to represent real weight. It suits the collector completing an Idaho set properly, and it is the denomination to choose if you want one note that carries the state's story rather than several small ones.

The premium is the thing to weigh. Even at this size, the artwork, the foil manufacturing and the distribution are priced on top of the metal, so a 25 costs a good deal more than the gold it contains. A fractional Britannia or a small bar gives you more gold for the same money and always will. Buy the 25 because you want this design and this format in the album, not as the efficient way to accumulate gold.

Make it part of your story

Choose an Idaho note for the story you would enjoy telling someone else. Build around favourite designs, or give one with a few words about why it reminded you of them.

The price includes artwork and manufacture as well as gold. Condition and collector demand can affect resale.

Specifications

• Contains 1/40 troy oz (0.025 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Edition: Alpha (α)
• Metal content: 0.025 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.