50 Arizona Goldback - Alpha Edition (α) | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

Pluto was found in 1930 from a hilltop in Flagstaff. The 50 Arizona is built around that discovery, right down to the newspaper clipping lying on the table.

The artwork

The virtue is Curiositas — Curiosity — personified as a young woman looking up at the sky in wonder. She holds a book embossed with Pluto's symbol in her right hand and a telescope in her left. The dome of Lowell Observatory rises behind her under a sky thick with stars.

The supporting detail does the historical work:

• A period newspaper clipping recalling the headlines that announced Pluto as the ninth planet
• Pluto itself overhead, shown with its moon Charon

Charon is the quiet argument of the design: discovery tends to turn up more than anyone went looking for. The inscription along the bottom reads “Be still and trust God.”

This is an Alpha Edition note, identified by the small α symbol beside the mintage date on the note itself — not by the serial number.

Who this note suits

The 50 holds 1/20 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold and comes in the larger 7.6 cm format, wider than the notes below it in the series. It is a centrepiece rather than a starter purchase.

It suits the collector completing an Arizona set from the top down, and it is the pick for anyone drawn to the subject — an astronomy-minded recipient will take more from this note than from any other in the series.

The trade-off does not get smaller as the notes get bigger. The premium over the gold price is significant, the Alpha premium adds to it, and neither buys additional metal. If the objective is weight for money, a Britannia, a Sovereign or a bar remains the correct answer.

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 1/20 troy oz (0.05 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Edition: Alpha (α)
• Metal content: 0.05 troy oz
• Purity: .999
• Thickness: 0.10 mm
• Size: 7.6 cm x 16.4 cm (3.0 in x 6.46 in)
• Manufactured in the USA.

The Arizona Series

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