2012 Frances Cleveland First Spouse Gold Coin (Second Term)

Frances Cleveland is the only individual to be featured on two separate issues of the First Spouse Gold Coin Program. This is due to the fact that her husband served as President of the United States during two nonconsecutive terms. The second coin is issued for the 24th Presidency, covering the years 1893-1897.

The second term coin issue will feature another portrait on the obverse design of the coin with the order of the Presidency and set of dates representing the term. Reverse designs carry different themes, with several focusing on the subject of education. Design candidates for both the obverse and the reverse of the second term Frances Cleveland Gold Coin have been reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts. They did not provide their recommendation for any of the provided designs, but expressed their support for the education theme.

The final designs for the coin will be decided by the Secretary of the Treasury and likely will not be announced until early in 2012.

Similarly details on the release date and maximum production levels are also not yet known. The previous year’s releases carried maximums of 15,000 coins across proof and uncirculated versions.

Frances Cleveland First Spouse Coin Specifications (second term)

Date: 2012
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: TBD
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

2012-W Caroline Harrison First Spouse $10 Gold Coin

The third release of the First Spouse Gold Coin Program for 2012 will feature Caroline Harrison, the spouse of the 23rd President Benjamin Harrison. The series has featured the spouses of each President on one-half ounce 24 karat gold coins.

While serving as First Lady, Caroline Harrison secured appropriations from Congress to perform some much needed renovations to the White House and install electricity. She was known for her elegant receptions and dinners, as well as conducting china-painting classes. Sadly, she passed away on October 25, 1892, while her husband was still in office.

The Caroline Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin will feature her portrait on the obverse with the inscriptions indicating her name, order of the Presidency, and dates served as First Lady. In accordance with the authorizing legislation, the reverse design will contain images emblematic of her life or time in the White House. Final designs have not yet been selected for the coin. A number of the reverse design candidates highlight her china-painting.

The maximum authorized mintage and exact release date for the Caroline Harrison Gold Coin are not yet known. These are expected to be announced by the United States Mint in early 2012. Pricing for the coins will be determined based on the average market price of gold.

Caroline Harrison First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2012
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: TBD
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

2012-W Frances Cleveland First Spouse $10 Gold Coin

The Frances Cleveland First Spouse Gold Coin will be issued in 2012 to honor the spouse of the 22nd President of the United States Grover Cleveland. This will be the twenty-third one-half ounce 24 karat gold coin release for the series.

President Grover Cleveland had entered the White House as a bachelor, but soon married Frances Folsom Cleveland. At the time, she was 21 years of age and remains the youngest First Lady in history. Her beauty and charm won over public opinion, despite her young age.

The obverse design of the coin will feature a portrait with the required inscriptions. These include her name, the order of the Presidency “22nd”, the dates of the term “1186-1889″, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, and the date. The reverse will contain images emblematic of her life or service as the First Lady. The final designs for the coin have not yet been decided. A number of design candidates have been reviewed by the Commission of Fine Arts. Their two recommended designs are pictured above.

Frances Cleveland will actually be featured on two different coins of the series, since her husband served as President during two nonconsecutive terms. Her second coin is issued for the 24th Presidency, released near the end of 2012.

Frances Cleveland First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2012
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: TBD
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

2012 Alice Paul $10 Gold Coin

In accordance with the authorizing legislation for the First Spouse Gold Coin Program, a $10 gold coin will be issued for Suffragist Alice Paul. This issue will represent the 21st President Chester Arthur, who served in office without a spouse.

Alice Paul was a leading strategist in the suffrage movement, which ultimately resulting in women obtaining the right to vote with the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. She was born on January 15, 1885, during the Presidential term of President Chester Arthur.

The obverse design of the Alice Paul Gold Coin will feature her portrait, with inscriptions indicating her name, the word “Suffragist”, the motto “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, and the date of issue. The reverse design is expected to contain images representative of her role in the suffragist movement. Inscriptions around the outer edge will include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, the legal tender face value, and the weight and purity of the gold content.

Final designs for the coin have not yet been selected. A number of candidate designs have been provided by the United States Mint, two of which are shown above.

Details related to the maximum authorized mintage and release date are not yet known. Pricing will generally be determined based on the market price of gold during the period of availability.

Alice Paul First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2012
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: TBD
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

2011-W Lucretia Garfield First Spouse $10 Gold Coin

The final release of the year for the series honoring the First Ladies of the United States will be the Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin. She was the wife of the 20th President James A. Garfield.

A tentative release date for the 24 karat gold coins and related bronze medal has been set at December 1, 2011. Details such as the maximum mintage, pricing, and order limitations are not yet known. In general, the First Spouse Gold Coins remain available for sale until the maximum mintage has been sold or for approximately one year.

The Lucretia Garfield Gold Coin follows the format of the series with a portrait on the obverse. The required inscriptions “Lucretia Garfield”, “In God We Trust”, and “Liberty” appear, along with the order of the Presidency, the year of the term, and the date and mint mark of the coin.

On the reverse is a scene of Lucretia Garfield painting. She holds a brush in one hand and a palette in the other. This design had been recommended by both the Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and eventually selected by the Treasury of the Secretary. The inscriptions surrounding include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, the legal tender face value, and weight and fineness of the gold content.

The obverse was designed by US Mint Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Barbara Fox. The reverse was designed by US Mint Sculptor-Engraver Michael Gaudioso.

Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2011
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: Barbara Fox (obverse), Michael Gaudioso (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

More 2011 First Spouse Gold Coins

Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin
Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin

2011-W Lucy Hayes First Spouse $10 Gold Coin

The third release for the 2011 First Spouse Gold Coins will honor Lucy Hayes. She was the spouse of the 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes and was the First Lady during his term from 1877 to 1881.

The Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin is the twentieth overall release of the series, which is approximately at the half way point based on the current schedule. At the beginning of the series, there was an initial surge of interest, which quickly faded. By the third and fourth years of the series, some long term collectors of the series had emerged. As the more contemporary First Ladies are depicted, will interest in the series return?

On the obverse of the Lucy Hayes Gold Coin is a portrait of the First Lady, surrounded by the required inscriptions. These include her name “Lucy Hayes”, the motto “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, the order of the Presidency “19th”, the years of the term “1877-1881″, and the date and mint mark. The obverse was designed by Susan Gamble.

A scene from the first White House Easter Egg Roll is depicted on the reverse of the coin. The First Lady cheers on two children participating in the event. Inscriptions include “United States of America”, the motto “E Pluribus Unum”, “$10″, and “1/2 oz. .999 fine gold”. The reverse of the coin was designed by Barbara Fox.

The United States Mint has provided a release date of September 1, 2011 for the Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin. The maximum mintage for the issue will be 15,000 pieces across proof and uncirculated versions.

Lucy Hayes First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2011
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: Maximum 15,000
Designers: Susan Gamble (obverse), Barbara Fox (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

More 2011 First Spouse Gold Coins

Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin
Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin

The Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin honors the spouse of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States of America. This will be the second release of the year for the 24 karat gold coin series.

On the obverse of the coin is a portrait of the First Lady, designed by US Mint Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Donna Weaver. The required inscriptions surround the portrait, “Julia Grant”, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, “2011″, “18th”, and “1869-1877″.

The reverse of the Julia Grant Gold Coin provides a glimpse into the courtship of Julia Dent and Ulysses S. Grant. The two are shown on horseback, riding at the family plantation known as White Haven. The future President, then a West Point cadet, is shown in uniform. The design is by Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Richard Masters. The inscriptions on the reverse include “United States of America”, the motto “E Pluribus Unum”, “$10″, and “1/2 oz. .999 Fine Gold”.

Sales of the coin began at the United States Mint on June 23, 2011, with initial pricing of $929 for the proof and $916 for the uncirculated version. In the ensuing months, the market price of gold experienced a sharp increase, which brought prices as high as $1,054 and $1,041 respectively.

As of August 26, the US Mint has recorded sales of 3,278 proof and 2,165 uncirculated coins, out of the maximum authorized mintage of 15,000 pieces. For recent releases of the series, the offering period has become more inconsistent, however the coins are expected to remain available for at least the remainder of the 2011 calendar year.

Julia Grant First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2011
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: Maximum 15,000
Designers: Donna Weaver (obverse), Richard Masters (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

More 2011 First Spouse Gold Coins

Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin

2011-W Eliza Johnson First Spouse $10 Gold Coin

Beginning the fifth year of the series honoring the First Ladies of the United States will be the Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin. She was the wife of President Andrew Johnson, who served as the 17th President of the United States from 1865 to 1869.

The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Eliza Johnson designed by Joel Iskowitz. The inscriptions include “Eliza Johnson”, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, the order and dates of the Presidency “17th 1865-1869″, and the date and mint mark.

The reverse of the coin is intended to represent the First Lady’s love of children. It features a scene from the children’s ball held for President Andrew Johnson’s 60th birthday. Three children are dancing and a Marine Band fiddler is present in the background. When the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee reviewed design candidates, they believed that this option, in which the First Lady was not present, was a more symbolic representation of the event. The design is credited to Gary Whitley.

Reverse inscriptions around the outer edge of the coin include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, the nominal face value “$10″, and gold content and fineness “1/2 oz. .9999 Fine Gold”.

Sales of the Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coins began at the United States Mint on May 5, 2011. Original pricing was $929 for the proof version and $916 for the uncirculated. The maximum mintage was set at 15,000 pieces across both versions.

As of late August 2011, total sales had reached 3,273 proofs and 2,200 uncirculated coins. The rising market price of gold also brought the issue prices to a high of $1,054 for the proof and $1,041 for the uncirculated version. Sales are expected to continue for at least the remainder of the calendar year.

Eliza Johnson First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2011
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: Maximum 15,000
Designers: Joel Iskowitz (obverse), Gary Whitely (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

More 2011 First Spouse Gold Coins

Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin
Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin

The “Liberty Subset”

Although the series of 24 karat gold coins is intended to honor the First Spouses of the United States, four coins feature depictions of Liberty taken from circulating coins from the era of the Presidency. The so-called “Liberty Subset” represents a popular portion of the broader First Spouse Gold Coin series.

The authorizing legislation provided specific requirements for the design to be used for the situations when a President served in office without a spouse. The obverse design would feature an image emblematic of the concept of Liberty. This would be represented by the design taken from a coin issued during the years of the Presidential term. The reverse design would be representative of the themes of the Presidency.

Modern coins which reuse classic coin designs have a history of resonating strongly with collectors. The four issues of the Liberty Subset each reuse designs from U.S. coins from the 19th century, as listed below:

Thomas Jefferson’s Liberty – obverse from the Draped Bust Half Cent deigned by Robert Scot and issued from 1800-1808.

Andrew Jackson’s Liberty – obverse from the Capped Bust Lettered Edge Half Dollar designed by John Reich and issued from 1807 to 1836.

Martin Van Buren’s Liberty – obverse from the Liberty Seated Dime designed by Christian Gobrecht and issued from 1837 to 1891.

James Buchanan’s Liberty – obverse from the Liberty Gold Quarter Eagle designed by Christian Gobrecht and issued from 1840 to 1907.

Mintages for each coin within the subset have varied. The Thomas Jefferson’s Liberty achieved a sell out of the maximum authorized mintage of 40,000 coins, divided equally between the proof and uncirculated versions. The Jackson and Van Buren’s Liberty Coins had total sales of around 12,000 each, which results in a secondary market premiums. The Buchanan’s Liberty coin was on a trajectory for higher demand, however an early sell out resulted in sales of 12,652 across proof and uncirculated versions.

Interest in the subset seemed to increase following the release of the final coin. The four coins together make for an impressive display of classic coinage, struck in a composition of 24 karat gold.

It’s worth noting that President Chester A. Arthur also served in office without a spouse, however, the authorizing legislation provides for a different type of design, rather than a depiction of Liberty. The obverse will feature a portrait of Alice Paul, a leading strategist in the suffrage movement, while the reverse will carry a design representative of the movement.

2010-W Mary Todd Lincoln $10 Gold Coin

The Mary Todd First Spouse Gold Coin honors one of the better known First Ladies of the United States. Demand for this issue was expected to be higher than normal, which led the US Mint to establish a higher maximum authorized mintage.

Sales of the coin began on December 2, 2010 with proof and uncirculated versions available. The initial pricing was $854 for proofs and $841 for uncirculated coins, with the prices subject to potential change weekly, following the average market price of gold. No household ordering limits were imposed, but the maximum mintage was set at 20,000 coins. This was 5,000 higher than the level established for the other 2010 releases of the series.

The Mary Todd Lincoln Gold Coin features her portrait on the obverse, as designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The coin carries required inscriptions “Mary Todd Lincoln”, the order of the Presidency “16th”, years as First Lady “1861-1865″, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, and the date of issue and mint mark.

On the reverse of the coin is a scene of the First Lady bringing books and flowers to wounded Union soldiers. Inscriptions appear surrounding the image reading “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, “$10″, and “1/2 oz. .999 Fine Gold”. The reverse was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.

Alternate designs prepared by the United States Mint as candidate designs included a scene of the President and Mrs. Lincoln greeting visitors at a public reception and a scene of her bandaging a wounded soldier. A member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee questioned whether the scene of her bandaging a soldier was historically accurate.

After just over six months of availability, the uncirculated version of the Mary Todd Lincoln $10 Gold Coin sold out at the United States Mint. The proof version has remained available for sale. With last reported sales of 3,760, the uncirculated version would seem to have the potential for higher prices on the secondary market, particularly if higher demand emerges for this more well-known First Lady.

Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Coin Specifications

Date: 2010
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: 3,760 (uncirculated), proof still available
Designers: Phebe Hemphill (obverse), Joel Iskowitz (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)

More 2010 First Spouse Gold Coins

Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coin
Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coin
James Buchanan’s Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin