Arizona 100 Goldback

(1) Arizona 100 Goldback, 1/10 troy ounce 24k gold 

Libertas (Liberty)

Our language was our strongest weapon

Set before the monumental red rocks of Window Rock, Arizona—a sacred site and the seat of the Navajo Nation—this artwork honors one of the most extraordinary stories of World War II: the Navajo Code Talkers. In the center stands the virtue Libertas (Liberty), a timeless symbol of freedom, dressed in homage to Navajo heritage.

In the foreground, a Navajo Code Talker crouches in full WWII Marine uniform, radio in hand. He represents the hundreds of Navajo Marines who created and carried out the only unbreakable code of the war, built from their language. Not a single message was ever deciphered by the enemy. Once forbidden in schools, the Navajo language became the very key to liberty. 

The code was so effective that it was used in every major Marine assault across the Pacific, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. The Code Talkers worked under fire, often in foxholes or on the front lines, relaying orders in seconds that could determine the outcome of battle. During the Battle of Iwo Jima alone, more than 800 coded messages were transmitted flawlessly. Major Howard Connor, signal officer of the 5th Marine Division, later declared: “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”

Behind the Code Talker, the historic Iwo Jima flag rises faintly, a powerful reminder of the victories their voices made possible.

Towering above, Libertas embodies both universal liberty and Navajo strength. She wears a concho belt, a squash blossom necklace, and a flowing dress adorned with Navajo woven patterns. In her hand she holds a spear, representing the Navajo’s long tradition of protecting their land and people. Her seven-spiked crown radiates light, merging the eternal symbol of freedom with Indigenous resilience.

Above her, eagles soar as emblems of vigilance and freedom. Below, Marines move among cactus and desert stone, tying their sacrifice to the land of Arizona itself. The design also bears the seal of the Navajo Code Talker Museum, affirming the partnership with the Navajo Nation in preserving this legacy.

The enduring principle is expressed in the Code Talkers’ own words: “Our language was our strongest weapon.” 

The Code Talkers story is deeply tied to Arizona, home to the largest portion of the Navajo Nation and to many of the Code Talkers themselves. By carrying their words into the war and ensuring victory abroad, the Navajo Code Talkers carried the heart of Arizona with them into history.

This artwork celebrates not only their wartime heroism, but the deeper truth that freedom is defended in many voices—and some of the strongest rose from Navajo. It honors the Code Talkers, the Navajo people, Arizona’s proud role in their story, and the eternal virtue of Libertas.