2024 New Hampshire Goldback Set

Description

One New Hampshire Goldback – Gratia (Grace)

In the New Hampshire Goldback series, Gratia, meaning Grace, makes her debut. Depicted as an Abenaki Native American woman from the Algonquin tribes with a rich regional history, she is adorned in traditional attire and stands before an Abenaki wigwam. Beside her, a river otter symbolizes resourcefulness and the ability to find joy in the present—qualities central to grace and a balanced life.

Intertwined within this design are elements reflecting Jewish and Christian traditions. Notably, the imagery evokes the Jewish Festival of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, in conjunction with the Thanksgiving celebration. Specific symbols, such as the Shofar trumpet by the wigwam’s entrance and the bounty of pumpkin, corn, beans, chestnuts, and a beehive in the tree, signify the overlap of these two significant festivals.

Gratia is portrayed collecting chestnuts, lost in thought, with the caption “Give Thanks” beneath her. This imagery emphasizes the idea that while life’s blessings require effort to attain, gratitude for them is paramount. The untouched chestnuts symbolically echo the immense effort of America’s founders in laying the groundwork for the freedoms enjoyed today.

The representation of Thanksgiving Day in this New Hampshire series pays tribute to Sarah Joseph, a New Hampshire native, who played a pivotal role in establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In the backdrop, elements allude to ancient artifacts and the “American Stonehenge” located in New Hampshire, underscoring the area’s rich pre-colonial cultural heritage.

Five New Hampshire Goldback – Veritas (Truth)

The design of New Hampshire’s 5 Goldback features Veritas, representing Truth, for the second time. In this depiction, she is clothed in a colonial dress, extending the illumination of a candle while treading a pathway leading to a mist-enshrouded bridge. Symbolizing the luminance of truth, she extends this light to guide others, inviting them to join her and navigate the haze of uncertainty and chaos that would otherwise engulf them.

The bridge’s design draws inspiration from one located on the Kancamagus Highway, though many similar structures dot the state. Flanking Veritas is the state flower, the purple lilac bush, to her left, and the state bird, the purple finch, to her right. Beneath her, the caption reads, “Walk in Truth.”

Adjacent to the pathway, a guardrail is a metaphor for how truth serves as a protective barrier, ensuring that those who remain true to its path are safely guided. In the distance, a moose emerges, renowned for its imposing stature, territorial behavior, and limited vision but acute hearing and sense of smell. In this context, it symbolizes the unwavering defense of the truth and the diverse ways it can be discerned, even when obscured from direct sight.

Ten New Hampshire Goldback – Prospicientia (Foresight)

In the New Hampshire 10 Goldback Denomination design, Prospicientia, symbolizing Foresight, is introduced. She gracefully sits atop a cannon, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with Fort Constitution, previously known as Fort William and Mary, in the distance. This scenario captures a crucial historical moment: the aftermath of New Hampshire’s Sons of Liberty taking control of the fort. This act was spurred by Paul Revere’s lesser-known ride, warning that General Thomas Gage was en route to seize supplies from Fort William and Mary. Recognizing the urgency, New Hampshire’s residents anticipated a race for the supplies, understanding that if the British claimed them, it would bolster their advantage.

New Hampshire’s Patriots sought to preempt this and possibly utilize the situation and supplies to their benefit. Demonstrating remarkable foresight, they swiftly mustered men from Portsmouth, recruiting more along their journey, and descended upon the fort.

Despite being outnumbered by just six men and three operational cannons, they breached the fort, lowered the British flag, and seized around 100 barrels of gunpowder, ample supplies, muskets, ammunition, and 16 cannons. All these feats were accomplished within a day of Revere’s alert and days before General Gage’s arrival, who found an empty fort.

This incident stands as a potential precursor to the Revolutionary War battles, exemplifying proactive foresight. The supplies procured played pivotal roles in subsequent confrontations. Prospicientia’s portrayal exudes tranquility and triumph, emphasizing the serenity of preparedness and proactive action. Beneath her, the caption “Look Forward” resonates with her essence. The design also incorporates a humpback whale, the USS Raleigh— a seminal ship of the Continental Navy, and a rendition of the “An Appeal to God” flag, initially hoisted on George Washington’s naval vessels.

Twenty-five New Hampshire Goldback – Fortitudine (Fortitude)

In the design of New Hampshire’s 25 Goldback Denomination, Fortitudine, representing Fortitude, graces the scene for the second time in a Goldback series. Dressed in the attire of a minuteman, her ensemble boasts the early rebel colonists’ vertical red and white stripes, which later found a horizontal alignment on the U.S. flag. With a musket resting on one shoulder and a powder horn in her opposite hand—both believed to be spoils from Fort William and Mary as depicted in the 10 Goldback Design—she stands resolutely. Adjacent to her is a scaled representation of New Hampshire’s iconic granite monument bearing the state’s powerful motto: “Live Free or Die.” Below her, the inscription urges, “Take Courage.”

Nestled at her feet, a mother porcupine and her offspring symbolize a duality: nurturing tenderness paired with the innate ability to defend oneself when provoked. In the backdrop, an early spring maple tree with a tap and collecting bucket stands as a testament to the tree’s endurance through the winter. The surge of sap with the advent of warmer days not only rejuvenates the tree but also brings vitality and delight to those who depend on it. The distant silhouette reveals Mount Washington and the historic Mount Washington Hotel, underscoring the aptness of New Hampshire’s moniker, “The Granite State.”

Fifty New Hampshire Goldback – Libertas (Liberty)

In the design for the New Hampshire 50 Goldback Denomination, Libertas, symbolizing Liberty, prominently returns, this time amidst the verdant expanse of the White Mountain National Forest. She is portrayed alongside the three primary elements of New Hampshire’s inaugural seal: a bundle of five arrows she clutches, fish motifs on her attire, and the eastern white pine tree that stands both in the backdrop and near her. The arrows signify the state’s five foundational counties, the fish highlight the colony’s primary trade avenue at the time, and the prominent white pine indicates its export significance for ship masts.

The hem of her gown bears the embroidered maxim, “Vis Unitas Fortior,” echoing the original seal and translating to “A United Force is Stronger” or “We are Stronger Together.” Further complementing her depiction, Libertas wears a medallion bearing the emblematic torch of Liberty and a necklace adorned with a laurel wreath and stars, giving a nod to the New Hampshire state seal.

The phrase “Stand Fast in Liberty” is etched below, while the backdrop accentuates the state animal, a family of whitetail deer. This underscores unity, particularly familial unity, as an avenue through which Liberty’s values are imparted and perpetuated. Without this transmission of ideals, the cost of regaining lost Liberty may be steep and forgotten.

In her left hand, Libertas holds a pine switch, with her feet positioned atop a felled pine marked with King George’s logo. A shattered axe lies nearby, symbolizing the tumultuous “Pine Tree” or “Mast Tree” Riots from 1732-1734. These events, arguably precursors to the Colonial Rebellion, saw New Hampshire’s inhabitants resisting British mandates that earmarked the region’s Eastern White Pines for shipbuilding and barred the felling of trees exceeding 12 inches in diameter.

This rebellion culminated in an audacious act: locals confronted the British sheriff enforcing the King’s decree, subjected him to lashings corresponding to each tree in dispute, sheared the manes and tails of their horses, and ousted them from the town. This strong sentiment was captured in several early Rebellion flags showcasing a White Pine, one of which, flown on George Washington’s naval vessels, is brandished by Libertas on her pine switch, bearing the resonant proclamation: “An Appeal to God.”