2 Oklahoma Goldback

The 2 Oklahoma Goldback Note Artwork

Benevolentia (Kindness)

The Oklahoma 2 Goldback embodies the virtue Benevolentia, or Kindness. At the center of the scene stands a Cherokee mother wearing a traditional tear dress and beaded headband. The woven basket in her arms overflows with the bounty of the land. In the distance, a second mother tends the harvest with a papoose on her back.

Above the figures, a branch of Oklahoma’s state tree—the Eastern Redbud—arches over the scene. Flowing behind the figures is the Illinois River. Dugout canoes glide across the river, illustrating the deep Indigenous connection to water. Nearby, an Asi house represents both architectural ingenuity and communal life. Footprints in the soil quietly allude to the Trail of Tears, one of the most painful chapters in American history.

A rainbow arches overhead, symbolizing healing, hope, and a better future.

Oklahoma today is home to 39 federally recognized tribes, each with a distinct heritage. This artwork was shaped with the input of cultural advisors and artists from several Oklahoma tribes, including a registered Choctaw artist who suggested the theme. At the bottom of this note is written the enduring truth: “The greatest strength is gentleness.”

For the 2 Oklahoma Goldback note mintage information, please see the Goldback Mintages page.