The Valiant Gold Covers were given out to retailers and fans as a "thank you" for various contests and as giveaways at conventions. While publisher Fred Pierce confirmed that each gold edition had a print run of 5,000 copies, it's unclear how many were actually distributed.
"Retribution, Prologue"
Manowar #0 is unquestionably an origin issue as it tells the tale of Aric, the Visigoth warrior who swears vengeance on the Roman empire after his father is beheaded and ends up captive on an alien ship filled with bloodsucking spider creatures, and how he comes across the Manowar armor.