*2022* Wyoming Goldback Set

Description

One Goldback

Reverentia (Reverence)

In her first appearance on a Goldback series, Reverentia, or Reverence/Respect, is featured on the Wyoming 1 Goldback Denomination. She is depicted in this design as a Shoshone Native American woman wearing a traditional buckskin dress and standing in Wyoming’s Northeastern plains region. Below her the caption reads “Revere what is Sacred”. Her hair has been left free to blow in the wind and lends to the overall feeling of freedom. This freedom is given deeper meaning when one understands that the bald eagle perched on her arm with falconry gear represents a messenger from the Creator, and that the freedom that the creations enjoy go hand in hand with the respect and reverence to the Creator for them. In this design, Reverentia is surrounded by sunflowers, a representation of life and beauty as a direct result from keeping our face toward the sun, absorbing the light and life that comes from it, and letting it shine through us.

The formation that we call Devil’s Tower, or Mato Tipila (meaning Bear Lodge or Bear Rock), is in the background. Mato Tipila is a sacred site to many Native Americans in the region. The origin story of its formation that is represented here involves seven girls, represented in this design by the seven ladybugs on the sunflowers, praying to the Great Spirit to save them from bears that were chasing them. In answer to their prayer, the Great Spirit made the formation raise them up toward heaven and out of the bears’ grasp. As the formation grew from the ground, the bears scratched its sides while trying to get to the girls, which gave it the markings that we see today. When the girls were raised up high enough, they were turned into the constellation of the Pleiades.

Behind Reverentia stands an American Bison, and in the foreground is a bison skull. The bison is a state specific symbol for Wyoming, but also nods to the Tribe Logos of both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho. It is a very important animal for the region historically. In this design it represents the strength, abundance, and stability, found in freedom, consistency, and centeredness. The placement of the live bison and bison skull are purposefully placed to spark thoughts of the cyclical and symbiotic nature of the life and death that both come before us and follow after us. When one recognizes that Reverentia is placed in the middle of that representation, it further underscores the importance of having peace and respect for that ever present cycle in the now.

Five Goldbacks

Audentia (Boldness)

Another first appearance in this series, the Virtue Audentia, meaning Boldness or Fearlessness, rides in. She is depicted here as a recently chosen rodeo queen in her formal performance attire and is accompanied by her faithful horse.

Much of the symbolism in this design draws from the biblical story of Esther as a wonderful metaphor for the attributes of Audentia. In the story, Esther is a young woman who comes from a conquered nation and is both an ethnic and religious minority in her situation. Despite these challenges, and after months of rigorous training in etiquette and presentation, she is chosen as the best candidate for the queenship on all accounts, is crowned, and marries the king of Persia, Ahasuerus. He was known as a stern man who thought of himself as the most powerful man in the world at the time and ruled with authority, expecting complete obedience from everyone around him. With all of this intrigue at play, and the fate of the former queen looming over her actions, Esther prepared to leverage her position and relationship with the king, using a fearless boldness, to ultimately secure the salvation of her entire people from the grips of a genocidal conspiracy. It is with this level of boldness that Audentia appears in this design.

Upon further inspection, roses and thorns surround Audentia in various locations throughout this design, representing both the beauty and danger of boldness, encouraging the viewer to be thoughtful of choosing the correct moment, exercising patience until that moment comes, and confidence in their actions when the moment does present itself. The viewer will see elements of this story such as a scroll representing decrees designed to cause targeted and retaliatory harm to good folks, the king’s scepter representing the grace that rewards boldness, and ropes that represent the vindication that will hang the designers of such evil decrees when boldness brings them to light. It is very fitting that the caption below Audentia reads “Doubt Not, Fear Not”.

Ten Goldbacks

Fiducia (Trust)

Yet another first with this series is the Virtue Fiducia, or Trust, making her debut on the Wyoming 10 Goldback Denomination. Accompanied with the phrase “Trust in the LORD”, Fiducia makes her appearance as a pioneer woman and future settler of Star Valley, Wyoming. She is depicted here following the worn path of those who went before and exercising her best preparations in order to protect and follow her faith while trusting in Deity.

With a backdrop of the famous formation of Split Rock, Fiducia can be seen carrying a basket of birch wood on her back as kindling for the fire. Because of their year-round beauty and early bearing of foliage, birch trees symbolize hope and new beginnings. In some local Native American cultures, their meaning includes truth and the cleansing of the past for a new beginning. Considering the special meanings behind the birch tree, it is no wonder that birch wood has been used traditionally for making cribs for newborn babies. It is meant to invoke similar feelings here in this design. With its stored potential as fuel for the fire, the birch wood is accompanied by a steel flint striker in the foreground. Surrounded by indian paintbrush and sagebrush, the steel flint striker represents the actions and work needed to spark the first flames that must be tended in order to realize the potential of a new beginning.

The yoked oxen are representative of hard work, sharing burdens, consistent effort, cooperation, and equality. Particularly, it nods to Wyoming’s historical milestone of voting rights for women. The viewer is encouraged to follow the example of Fiducia and trust in what is right and the example and counsel of those who have gone before them to help them arrive at the best place where they can realize their full potential.

Twenty-Five Goldbacks

Fideletas (Loyalty)

Fideletas, or Loyalty, is illustrated for the first time on the Wyoming 25 Goldback Denomination as a good ol’ Wyoming ranch girl waiting for her groom to show up to their wedding. She is backdropped by the Grand Teton Mountains and the small log Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration, completed in 1925 and located in Grand Teton National Park. This depiction of Fideletas lends from the parable of the ten virgins from the Gospel of Matthew, and draws parallels between filling one’s lamp with oil in preparation for a highly anticipated event and actions taken because of loyalty. Part of being truly loyal to someone or something is being ready and prepared to act on its behalf when the correct moment presents itself. In the spirit of this type of loyalty, Fidelitas can be seen sitting on the wooden fence, dressed in simple wedding attire, wearing a bridal wreath, holding a lit oil lamp in one hand and a cruse of oil in the other, and accompanied by the inscription “Faithful to the End”.

She is accompanied by her faithful cattle dog which is laying at her feet next to a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine and a small bowl of salt that is spilling onto the earth. These three items have a deep christian meaning of loyalty both given to and received from Jesus Christ. Behind her is a cow representing plenty and blessings that are resultant of being a loyal person. In the foreground, wheat is growing, ready to be harvested and sifted from the tares, representing both the harvest of that which one’s loyal deeds will yield and that folks who are loyal will also be separated from those that are not.

Fifty Goldbacks

Liberty (Libertas)

As always, Libertas is the Virtue represented on the 50 Goldback Denomination. In this Wyoming Series Design, she is depicted as a mid-20th century hiker passing through Yellowstone National Park. The symbols that accompany her are influenced by the Old Testament story of Deborah, the Lady of Torches. Surrounded by wild flowering raspberries, she has a pack on her back and a flashlight in her left hand in the place of a traditional torch. In her right hand she is holding a walking staff, representing divine guidance, and on her left wrist hangs a canteen, representing life that comes from Liberty. Additionally, a sword hangs from her pack and a shield is at her feet, representing the constant need to be ready to defend Liberty from those who would seek to take it away.

Behind her, an eruption from Old Faithful can be seen alongside a depiction of Osprey Falls. She has wolves to her side and a mother grizzly bear behind her, representing both the community and cooperation as well as the fierceness that is sometimes required to protect and cultivate Liberty.