AFFORDABLE GOLD 

GOLD FANNAMS FROM INDIA

These tiny (6-10mm) gold coins were issued by a number of states and dynasties in southern India in the 18th and 19th centuries.  They were popular as they allowed the poor to hoard gold and could be easily concealed.  They were worth approximately 1/24 Rupee.  Because of their small size, struck by hand with hand cut dies there is a wide variation from coin to coin.  Though the diameter of the coin varies, the gold content is similar for all the coins.

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INEXPENSIVE OLD GOLD COIN OF THE SHOGUNS OF JAPAN  

The Gold 2 Shu (Nishu) was minted from 1860 until 1869. It was one of the last coins issued by the once powerful Shoguns who ruled Japan until 1867.   The rectangular coin is approximately 11.5mm x 6.5mm and struck in an alloy of 23% gold, 77% silver.  Despite being over 150 years old it is one of the least expensive gold coins available to collectors today.

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NEW FLORIDA GOLDBACK NOTES

The popular Goldback series continued in 2025 with the introduction of the Florida Goldback. Goldback notes are a voluntary local currency made of 24 karat gold! Each wafer-thin note has a protective plastic coating. They are issued in increments of 1/1000 troy ounce of gold in order to allow for small purchases. The 1 Goldback note contains 1/1000 troy ounce of gold and measures 66x117mm.  The notes are printed on one side only, with intricate multi-color allegorical designs. 

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PREVIOUS 1 GOLDBACK NOTES

Goldback Aurum notes are a voluntary local currency made of 24 karat gold! Each wafer-thin note is coated with a protective plastic coating so it can be circulated without the gold tearing. They are issued in increments of 1/1000 troy ounce of gold in order to allow for small purchases. Each 1 Goldback note contains 1/1000 troy ounce of gold and measures 66x117mm.  The notes are printed on one side only, with intricate multi-color allegorical style designs. 

The first goldback was the Utah 1 Goldback released  in 2019.  It features Prudence as a Native American seated on a sandstone rock next to an ancient bristle-cone pine tree.

The Nevada 1 Goldback depicts Charity patterned after a depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Austin, Nevada.  Catholicism is Nevada’s most dominant religion and St. Augustine’s is the oldest Catholic Church building in the state. Like all Goldback designs, the art contains many levels of symbolism.  Some major symbols of Charity featured include: the Sierra Nevada Lily, which is in the container below Mary’s feet to the right; the Mary Magdalene Rose, in the container on the left; cherubs crowning Mary and Burning Hearts to either side of her; Charity’s lit candle in her hand, and Nevada’s sun, rising over the mountains seen through the window behind her. The window sill and the columns on each side of the design, are each inspired from St. Mary of the Mountains Catholic Cathedral in Virginia City.


The New Hampshire 1 Goldback depicts Grace as an Abenaki Native American woman wearing traditional dress and beads in front of her wigwam.. Below is a River Otter representing resourcefulness and finding joy in the moment with both attributes being key parts of grace. Also incorporated into the design are elements ofthe Jewish Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, being celebrated alongside the Thanksgiving Holiday. These include the Shofar trumpet next to the wigwam door, the pumpkin, corn, beans, chestnuts, and honeycomb represented by the beehive in the tree.

The Wyoming 1 Goldback features Reverentia, or Reverence as a  Shoshone woman wearing a traditional buckskin dress.  A Bald Eagle is perched on her arm.  In the forground are sunflowers.  In the background is a bison and the formation known as Devil's Tower.

South Dakota became the fifth state to have a Goldback note. The  South Dakota 1 Goldback note depicts Pax or Peace as a Lakota Sioux woman in traditional regalia performing the hoop dance.  Also in the design is Bear Butte, a sacred mountain also known as Mato Paha, an eagle, buffalo, wolf, a traditional Cancega drum and a Prairie Crocus. 

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