Gold Banknote 10 Idaho Goldback Gold Note ALPHA, 1/100 ounce

A gold banknotecovered with a thin laminate as an alternative to paper dollars.

The Idaho 10 Goldback commemorates the virtue of Perseverantia, or perseverance, through the history of Silver City, one of Idaho's most important mining communities. The scene takes place in the Owyhee Mountains during the height of the silver rush in the early 1860s. The miner depicted in the illustration is resting next to a cart filled with raw silver ore. Behind her are the Idaho Hotel and a Masonic lodge. Over time, silver mining declined and the town was abandoned, but Silver City has survived to this day as a historic site.

The artwork also refers to how Idaho earned the nickname "Gem State." Idaho is one of the few places in the world where star garnet, the state's official gemstone, occurs naturally. Sapphire, opal, jasper, aquamarine, topaz, and quartz were also mined there. These stones have been subtly incorporated into the overall composition. Perseverantia captures the spirit of the women and men who stayed, worked, and built in difficult conditions. It was their fortitude and determination that shaped Idaho's identity. At the bottom is an excerpt from the Letter of St. James 1:12: "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial."