2024 Wyoming Goldback Set

Description

One Wyoming Goldback – Reverentia (Reverence)

For the first time in the Goldback series, we see the depiction of Reverentia, synonymous with Respect or Reverence. She’s represented as a Shoshone Native American woman, donning a traditional buckskin dress and gracing the Northeastern plains of Wyoming. Below her, the words “Revere what is Sacred” are inscribed.

The wind flows freely through her hair, echoing sentiments of liberty. This sense of freedom gains depth when one notices the bald eagle, a messenger from the Creator, resting on her arm with falconry equipment. The liberty enjoyed by all creations is intertwined with profound respect for the Creator. Reverentia is beautifully framed by sunflowers, which symbolize drawing energy and life from the sun and reflecting its light and beauty.

Devil’s Tower, known as Mato Tipila in Native tongues, meaning Bear Lodge or Bear Rock, forms the backdrop. For numerous Native Americans in the vicinity, this place is revered. Its depicted origin story revolves around seven girls, symbolized by the seven ladybugs on the sunflowers. Pursued by bears, they prayed to the Great Spirit for salvation.

Heeding their pleas, the Great Spirit elevated them skyward through the formation, putting them out of the bears’ reach. As the formation ascended, bears clawed at it, leading to the present-day markings. Eventually, the girls transformed into the Pleiades constellation.

A majestic American Bison stands behind Reverentia, and a bison skull is featured prominently in the foreground. The bison not only signifies Wyoming at a state level but also resonates with the Tribe Logos of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho. Historically pivotal to the region, this depiction symbolizes strength, prosperity, and steadiness derived from freedom, consistency, and balance. The deliberate positioning of the living bison and its skull stimulates reflections on life’s cyclical and interdependent nature. The central placement of Reverentia accentuates the significance of recognizing and respecting this eternal cycle in our present moments.

Five Wyoming Goldback – Audentia (Boldness)

In this series, we introduce the Virtue Audentia, which stands for Boldness or Fearlessness. Audentia is portrayed as a newly crowned rodeo queen, donned in her formal performance attire, with her loyal horse by her side.

This design leans heavily on the biblical tale of Esther, exemplifying Audentia’s attributes. Esther, a young woman from a subjugated nation and an ethnic and religious minority, overcomes her circumstances. After an intensive period of training in etiquette and presentation, she emerges as the top choice for the queen’s role.

She is then crowned and marries King Ahasuerus of Persia, a man recognized for his stern demeanor, seeing himself as the world’s paramount authority at the time, demanding unwavering obedience. With the shadow of the previous queen’s fate influencing her, Esther strategically utilizes her newfound influence and relationship with the king. She exhibits a fearless tenacity, eventually ensuring the salvation of her people from a looming genocidal plot. Audentia embodies this very essence of audacity in the design.

Examining closely, you’ll notice roses intertwined with thorns around Audentia. This juxtaposition signifies the allure and perils of boldness. It prompts viewers to reflect on timing, advocating patience and assurance in their actions. Symbolic elements from Esther’s narrative are present: a scroll signifying harmful decrees against the innocent, the king’s scepter indicating the grace bestowed upon the bold, and ropes hinting at the fate awaiting those with malevolent intentions once their deeds are exposed. Aptly, inscribed beneath Audentia are the words, “Doubt Not, Fear Not.”

Ten Wyoming Goldback – Fiducia (Trust)

In this series, we introduce the Virtue Fiducia, symbolizing Trust. The Wyoming 10 Goldback Denomination proudly presents Fiducia, accompanied by the mantra, “Trust in the LORD.” She emerges as a pioneer woman, an early settler of Star Valley, Wyoming. Her depiction is of a soul determinedly treading the path set by predecessors, diligently safeguarding her faith, and placing her trust in the divine.

The iconic Split Rock formation serves as her backdrop, where Fiducia is seen shouldering a basket filled with birch wood, intended as fuel for her fire. Birch trees, renowned for their perennial charm and early foliage, stand as beacons of hope and fresh starts. Within certain Native American traditions, they signify truth and a clean slate for a renewed journey. The use of birch wood in crafting cradles for infants mirrors these sentiments. This design harnesses the birch wood’s latent energy, pairing it with a steel flint striker foregrounded against the indian paintbrush and sagebrush backdrop. This striker symbolizes the initial endeavors and care necessary to ignite the sparks of a nascent beginning.

The depiction of yoked oxen alludes to enduring labor, shared responsibilities, relentless dedication, collaboration, and parity. This imagery is especially resonant, referencing Wyoming’s pioneering stance on women’s voting rights. Viewers are inspired to emulate Fiducia, placing their trust in righteousness, and valuing the wisdom and guidance of those who’ve tread the path before, guiding them to their ultimate potential.

Twenty-five Wyoming Goldback – Fideletas (Loyalty)

In the Wyoming 25 Goldback Denomination, we encounter Fideletas, representing Loyalty, portrayed as a dedicated Wyoming ranch girl eagerly awaiting her groom’s arrival for their wedding. The majestic Grand Teton Mountains, coupled with the historic Episcopal Chapel of the Transfiguration (established in 1925 within the Grand Teton National Park), form her striking background.

Fideletas’ representation is inspired by the parable of the ten virgins from the Gospel of Matthew. This narrative underscores the significance of preparation and anticipatory actions, drawing a parallel to acts driven by loyalty. True loyalty embodies not just allegiance, but also readiness to act when the situation demands. Embodying this essence, Fideletas is portrayed perched on a wooden fence, adorned in modest wedding attire with a bridal wreath. She clutches a glowing oil lamp in one hand, with a vessel of oil in the other, while the words “Faithful to the End” elegantly underscore her image.

Her trusted cattle dog sits loyally at her feet, beside a loaf of bread, a bottle of wine, and a small bowl of spilling salt. These items resonate with profound Christian interpretations, symbolizing unwavering loyalty offered to and reciprocated by Jesus Christ. Behind her, a cow stands as a testament to the abundance and blessings that flow from steadfast loyalty. In the design’s forefront, ripe wheat awaits harvest, ready to be distinguished from the undesired tares. This imagery underscores the fruits borne of loyal deeds and the inevitable separation of the steadfast from the unfaithful.

Fifty Wyoming Goldback – Libertas (Liberty)

Libertas consistently graces the 50 Goldback Denomination. In the Wyoming Series Design, we see her portrayed as a hiker from the mid-20th century traversing the iconic Yellowstone National Park. Her accompanying symbols draw inspiration from the Old Testament’s tale of Deborah, the Lady of Torches.

Amidst a flourish of wild raspberries, Libertas carries a backpack and, instead of a conventional torch, wields a flashlight in her left hand. Her right hand clasps a walking staff, symbolizing divine guidance, while a canteen dangles from her left wrist, emblematic of the vitality springing from liberty. Preparing to guard liberty, a sword dangles from her pack, and a shield rests beside her, signifying the perpetual readiness to safeguard it against adversaries.

In her backdrop, the iconic spout of Old Faithful is visible, complemented by the stunning Osprey Falls. Flanking her are wolves and a vigilant mother grizzly bear, encapsulating both the notions of communal cooperation and the fierce determination indispensable to preserve and nurture liberty.