The First Spouse Gold Coin Program
The First Spouse Gold Coin Program honors the First Spouses of the United States of America. It is also sometimes referred to as the First Ladies Gold Coin Program, since to date all first spouses have been women.
Coins will be issued featuring the likenesses of each of the Nation's First Spouses in the order that they served. The coins will be released in conjunction with the Presidential Dollar Coins.
The coins will be $10 face value and contain one half ounce of 24 karat gold.
The obverse of each coin will include the following:
- A portrait of the First Spouse
- The name of the First Spouse
- The dates and order of the term served
- The date of issue and mint mark
- The words "In God We Trust" and "Liberty"
The reverse of each coin will include the following:
- A unique design representing the First Spouse's life and work
- The words "The United States of America" and "E. Pluribus Unum"
- The designations "$10," "1/2 oz.", and ".9999 Fine Gold"
When a president served without a first spouse, the coin will bear the Liberty image used on the circulating coinage during the president's term. The first example of this situation is the 2007 Thomas Jefferson's Liberty coin.
In 2007, the United States Mint released coins for Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson's Liberty, and Dolley Madison. The series continued in 2008 with coins for Elizabeth Monroe, Louisa Adams, Andrew Jackson's Liberty, and Martin Van Buren's Liberty.
The release schedule for 2009 will include five different coins. These will feature Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler, Julia Tyler, Sarah Polk, and Margaret Taylor.