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

Description

Most Goldback artwork celebrates something. The 5 Idaho begins with a catastrophe — the Great Fire of 1910 — and shows what came after it: a woman kneeling on burnt ground in the Wallace Mountains, putting saplings back into the soil.

The artwork

The virtue is Clementia: mercy, gentleness and stewardship. She replants where the forest used to stand, and the detail around her keeps the tone quiet rather than triumphant.

• Scorched ground and young saplings, marking renewal rather than recovery already achieved.
• A small fawn standing beside her.
• An empty patera resting near her hand, the classical symbol of mercy.

This is how Idaho answered the fire: replanting, rebuilding and learning to steward the land more carefully. The line along the bottom is from Isaiah 61:3 — "Beauty for ashes."

Who this note suits

The 5 holds 1/200 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold, five times the 1 Goldback. It is the denomination most collectors settle on once they have handled a few: substantial enough to be worth keeping properly, still light enough on the wallet to buy in multiples, and one of the better single notes to give as a gift because the design carries an idea rather than just a landmark.

Be clear about the cost. A Goldback prices the artwork, the foil manufacturing and the distribution on top of the gold, so the premium over melt value is significant at every denomination and does not disappear as you move up the series. Anyone whose sole aim is the most gold for the money should be buying a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar instead. The 5 earns its place on design and format, not on efficiency.

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 1/200 troy oz (0.005 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Edition: Alpha (α)
• Metal content: 0.005 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.