25 New Hampshire Goldback

Description

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.”