Goldbacks fix the divisibility problem that has always kept physical gold out of small transactions. The 1 California Goldback contains 1/1000th of a troy ounce of .999 fine 24K gold sealed between polymer layers, the base denomination the whole system is measured against. The Alpha marking identifies it as a first-year note in the California series, honoring the state whose history begins with a gold discovery.
Key Features:
- Purity and Weight: 1/1000th troy ounce of .999 fine 24K gold
- Metal Type: Gold, vacuum-deposited between polymer layers
- Obverse Design: Diligentia panning for gold in a river below Sutter’s Mill
- Reverse Design: Mirrored impression of the front artwork across a plain gold field
The front shows Diligentia, the virtue of diligence, kneeling at the edge of a mountain stream in a loose blouse and work skirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow. She holds a gold pan in the water with one hand and lifts a small nugget toward the light with the other, looking up as she examines it. Her name is worked into the rim of the pan. A grizzly bear wades in the current behind her, and a cluster of buildings marked SUTTER’S MILL sits on the far bank where the river runs down out of the hills. James Marshall’s 1848 find at that sawmill on the American River set off the Gold Rush. The line “Diligence is the mother of good luck” runs in script beneath the figure. The 1 denomination sits inside an ornamental rosette at the upper left, with CALIFORNIA, Goldback, and Negotiable Instrument across the top. An AURUM serial number runs vertically along the left edge next to the GB seal and the α 2026 series mark. The base panel reads 1/1000th Troy Ounce 24K Gold, payable in US gold coin to bearer on demand, with ONE at the bottom.
The back carries the same artwork in reverse impression on an unprinted gold surface. Under ultraviolet light the note shifts to violet with the nugget, mill sign, and border patterns fluorescing.
Each note arrives in a protective currency sleeve and flexes without creasing damage.
Real 24K gold tied directly to where the Gold Rush started. Add the 1 California Goldback – Alpha to your cart today.