5 Wyoming Goldback | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

A rodeo queen in full performance dress, standing in for a woman who talked a Persian king out of a genocide. The Wyoming 5 is the most narrative note in the series, and it holds 1/200 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold.

The artwork

The virtue is Audentia, meaning Boldness or Fearlessness, and Wyoming is where she makes her first appearance. She rides in as a newly chosen rodeo queen in her formal attire, her faithful horse alongside her, under the caption "Doubt Not, Fear Not".

Much of the symbolism is borrowed from the biblical account of Esther, used here as a metaphor for what Audentia stands for. Esther came from a conquered nation and was both an ethnic and a religious minority. After months of rigorous training in etiquette and presentation she was judged the best candidate for the queenship on every count, was crowned, and married Ahasuerus, king of Persia — a stern man who considered himself the most powerful person alive and expected complete obedience from everyone around him. With the fate of the previous queen hanging over every decision she made, Esther used her position and her relationship with the king, and a fearless kind of boldness, to save her entire people from a conspiracy to destroy them. That is the register the design is pitched in.

Look closer and the elements of the story are scattered across the note:

• Roses and thorns appear repeatedly, holding together the beauty and the danger of boldness — choose the right moment, wait patiently until it arrives, then act with confidence.
• A scroll stands for decrees written to cause targeted and retaliatory harm to good people.
• The king's sceptre stands for the grace that rewards boldness.
• Ropes stand for the vindication that hangs the authors of such decrees once boldness has brought them into the open.

Who this note suits

The 5 is the middle of the Wyoming set and the practical step up from the 1. At 1/200 troy oz it carries five times the gold of the reference note, so a given amount of gold takes up fewer notes, less storage and less counting — useful if you want the series without accumulating a thick stack. Its longer 13.01 cm format also shows the artwork better than the smaller denominations, which matters if the note is going into a frame or a sleeve on display.

The honest limitation is the same one that applies across the range. Goldbacks carry a substantial premium over the spot gold price, and the 5 is no exception; a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar will give you materially more gold for the same money. Buy the 5 for the artwork, the story and the ability to hold gold in small usable pieces, not as the cheapest route to an ounce.

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 1/200 troy oz (0.005 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Metal content: 0.005 troy oz
• Purity: .999
• Thickness: 0.10 mm
• Size: 6.5 cm x 13.01 cm (2.56 in x 5.125 in)
• Manufactured in the USA.

The Wyoming Series

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