½ Arizona Goldback | Aurum Gold Foil Note (24k)

There are doves in two forms on this note: the white birds rising above the scene, and the mission standing behind it — San Xavier del Bac, long known as the “White Dove of the Desert”.

The artwork

The virtue is Fides — Faith — and the subject is the Spanish missionaries who travelled into the Southwest to share their beliefs, build community and work the land. A young woman sits at the centre of the design cradling a candle, standing in for the steady light those missionaries carried with them. Her traditional Spanish gown and cross pendant mark the Catholic heritage behind the story.

The desert around her is busy rather than empty:

• Cactus flowers in bloom
• A roadrunner at speed
• The tiny elf owl
• A desert spiny lizard
• A lemon tree at her side, a nod to what the missions grew

Overhead, white doves take to the air. The inscription is drawn from Psalms 27:1: “The Lord is my light.”

Who this note suits

The ½ holds 1/2000 of a troy ounce of 24-carat gold. It is the least expensive way into the Arizona series and the natural place to start if you are assembling the set denomination by denomination, or buying someone their first Goldback.

Small notes do most of their work as objects. At this size you are buying the artwork, the format and the novelty far more than the metal, which is worth being clear about before you order.

The trade-off is blunt: the smaller the denomination, the higher the premium per gram of gold. A Britannia, a Sovereign or a plain cast bar will give you more gold for the same money, every time. Buy the ½ because you want the note.

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 1/2000 troy oz (0.0005 oz) of 24-carat gold.
• Grade: (U) Crisp Uncirculated
• Metal content: 0.0005 troy oz
• Purity: .999
• Thickness: 0.10 mm
• Size: 6.5 cm x 11.1 cm (2.56 in x 4.375 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.