First Spouse Gold Coins

When the Presidential Dollar Coin Program was initiated, a supplemental program was also enacted at the same time, called the First Spouse Program of commemorative bullion coins. On December 22, 2005, US President George W. Bush signed into law the Presidential $1 Coin Act and the Presidential dollars began to be produced in January of 2007. Since then, 4 US Presidents were honored each year with 4 different designs on the golden dollar coins. During the same time schedule, each spouse of each President, would also be honored on a $10 half ounce gold coin. The first spouse coins were released on June 19, 2007, both Martha Washington and Abigail Adams coins were released at the same time. Unlike the Presidential Dollars, the First Spouse coins are made of real gold, solid and pure.

United States Coin Mint

The $10 First Spouse gold coins would feature each President's spouse on the obverse (front side or heads side) of the coin in the form of a relief portrait. Their names would appear above the portrait along the upper rim. The words "IN GOD WE TRUST" would appear to the left side and "LIBERTY" would appear on the right side. The year that the coin was minted and the West Point Mint "W" mintmark would appear below the word "LIBERTY". Along the bottom rim, appears which number spouse they were in order of the when each US President took office, along with the term that each spouse served with the President.

the reverse (back side or tails side) of these coins depicts a portrait scene that symbolizes the work and life of each spouse. Also depicted on the reverse are the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" along the upper rim. Along the lower rim is the US motto: "E PLURIBUS UNUM" along with "$10" and "1/2 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD". These gold coins were produced as both collectible proof coinage and uncirculated coins. These gold coins are sometimes known as the first spouse gold eagles because an "eagle" coin has historically been a half ounce $10 denomination gold coin. In addition, bronze medals were also produced depicting the same design, but are not actually legal tender. The value and prices of the first spouse gold coins are extremely volatile because of the rapidly changing prices of gold. Like all gold, silver and bullion coins, the value of gold coins are pegged to the precious metal gold prices in the market at any given time.

Not all US Presidents were married while in office and did not have a spouse that served with them. In this case, an image that symbolized Liberty was featured on the obverse of the coin. This "Liberty" design was similar to a coin that was produced and circulated during their era. For instance, US President Thomas Jefferson didn't have a spouse and so the Thomas Jefferson's Liberty coin was produced featuring an early American liberty design used on coinage during that day. The reverse of these coins depicts images emblematic themes of the President himself. There were a number of presidents who had their own Liberty coin because they did not have a spouse. An exception to the Liberty design was the Alice Paul first spouse coin, minted in honor of Chester A. Arthur. Alice Paul was not a first spouse, nor was she related to President Arthur. Since Arthur was a widower, Alice Paul (American suffragist and women's rights activist) was depicted as someone who represented the era of the time period when the women's suffrage movement was most prominent.

In most cases, only 4 different coin designs are released each year in order to correspond to the US Presidential dollar coins that were being minted at the same time. Although in some cases, 5 coins were released each year. Some first spouses passed away while a President was in office, and then that President re-married while still in office. In this case, two different spouse coins for each spouse would be released. An example of this is are the Letitia Tyler and Julia Tyler first spouse coins. During the term of US President John Tyler, Letitia passed away and John married Julia. Another example of this are the Ellen Wilson and Edith Wilson first spouse coins. Ellen served as first lady to US President Woodrow Wilson before she passed away. While Woodrow Wilson was still President, he re-married Edith and so both women are honored during the same year.

In order for a spouse to be eligible, the US President that they served with must also be eligible to be honored in the Presidential dollar coins. As long as a US President has been deceased for at least 2 years, they will be eligible to be depicted on the dollar coin. If a President is eligible, then the first spouse is automatically eligible to be depicted on a first spouse coin, even if they are still currently alive. At the moment, Ronald Reagan is the last eligible President to be depicted on the dollar coins scheduled to be released in 2016. This means Nancy Reagan will be the last first spouse to be scheduled to also be honored in 2016. If Jimmy Carter passes away by 2014, his coin would be produced before Ronald Reagan and Rosalynn Carter would then be depicted before Nancy Reagan.

All first spouses so far in history are currently women who have served as first ladies. Hillary Clinton would qualify to be depicted on the first spouse coin sometime in the future as first lady to US President Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton is also the most likely women who could potentially become US President someday. This would mean Hillary Clinton could be depicted on the Presidential dollar coins as well, and Bill Clinton would become the first man depicted on the first spouse coins!

Below is a table chart depicted the entire First Spouse coin series. This includes enlargeable, high quality large images, pictures and photos for each coin design. Also included is the name of the first spouse, year that the coin was release, the release date, mintage figures (referencing to the prices, values and specs of the coins), US President who each spouse served with, dates that they served, and the designers and engravers for the obverse and reverse of each coin. Some of the data and designs are still yet to be determined, but we will update this table as new details emerge in the future:

Design Image Name / Year Release Date Mintage President / Served Obverse Designer / Engraver Reverse Designer / Engraver
2007 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2007 Martha Washington First Spouse Gold Coin Martha Washington
2007
June 19, 2007 W: 36,830 George Washington
1789-1797
Joseph Menna Susan Gamble
Don Everhart
2007 Abigail Adams First Spouse Gold Coin Abigail Adams
2007
June 19, 2007 W: 34,291 John Adams
1797-1801
Joseph Menna Thomas Cleveland
Phebe Hemphill
2007 Thomas Jefferson's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin Thomas Jefferson's Liberty
2007
August 30, 2007 W: 39,638 Thomas Jefferson
1801-1809
Robert Scot
Phebe Hemphill
Charles Vickers
2007 Dolley Madison First Spouse Gold Coin Dolley Madison
2007
November 19, 2007 W: 19,474 James Madison
1809-1817
Don Everhart Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
2008 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2008 Elizabeth Monroe First Spouse Gold Coin Elizabeth Monroe
2008
February 28, 2008 W: 12,452 James Monroe
1817-1825
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
Donna Weaver
Charles Vickers
2008 Louisa Adams First Spouse Gold Coin Louisa Adams
2008
May 29, 2008 W: 11,677 John Quincy Adams
1825-1829
Susan Gamble
Phebe Hemphill
Joseph Menna
2008 Andrew Jackson's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin Andrew Jackson's Liberty
2008
August 28, 2008 W: 11,735 Andrew Jackson
1829-1837
John Reich Justin Kunz
Don Everhart
2008 Martin Van Buren's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin Martin Van Buren's Liberty
2008
November 25, 2008 W: 9,630 Martin Van Buren
1837-1841
Christian Gobrecht Thomas Cleveland
Jim Licaretz
2009 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2009 Anna Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin Anna Harrison
2009
March 5, 2009 W: 8,794 William Henry Harrison
1841
Donna Weaver
Joseph Menna
Thomas Cleveland
Charles Vickers
2009 Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin Letitia Tyler
2009
July 2, 2009 W: 6,722 John Tyler
1841-1842
Phebe Hemphill Susan Gamble
Norm Nemeth
2009 Julia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin Julia Tyler
2009
August 6, 2009 W: 6,066 John Tyler
1844-1845
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
2009 Sarah Polk First Spouse Gold Coin Sarah Polk
2009
September 3, 2009 W: 5,405 James K. Polk
1845-1849
Phebe Hemphill Phebe Hemphill
2009 Margaret Taylor First Spouse Gold Coin Margaret Taylor
2009
December 3, 2009 W: 8,272 Zachary Taylor
1849-1850
Phebe Hemphill
Charles Vickers
Mary Beth Zeitz
Jim Licaretz
2010 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2010 Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coin Abigail Fillmore
2010
March 18, 2010 W: 9,612 Millard Fillmore
1850-1853
Phebe Hemphill Susan Gamble
Joseph Menna
2010 Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coin Jane Pierce
2010
June 3, 2010 W: 8,113 Franklin Pierce
1853-1857
Donna Weaver
Don Everhart
Donna Weaver
Charles Vickers
2010 James Buchanan's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin James Buchanan's Liberty
2010
September 2, 2010 W: 12,272 James Buchanan
1857-1861
Christian Gobrecht David Westwood
Joseph Menna
2010 Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coin Mary Todd Lincoln
2010
December 2, 2010 W: 10,556 Abraham Lincoln
1861-1865
Phebe Hemphill Joel Iskowitz
Phebe Hemphill
2011 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2011 Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin Eliza Johnson
2011
May 5, 2011 W: 6,822 Andrew Johnson
1865-1869
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
Gary Whitley
Phebe Hemphill
2011 Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin Julia Grant
2011
June 23, 2011 W: 6,921 Ulysses S. Grant
1869-1877
Donna Weaver
Michael Gaudioso
Richard Masters
Charles L. Vickers
2011 Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coin Lucy Hayes
2011
September 1, 2011 W: 6,148 Rutherford B. Hayes
1877-1881
Susan Gamble
Don Everhart
Barbara Fox
Joseph Menna
2011 Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coin Lucretia Garfield
2011
December 1, 2011 W: 6,150 James A. Garfield
1881
Barbara Fox
Phebe Hemphill
Michael Gaudioso
2012 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2012 Alice Paul First Spouse Gold Coin Alice Paul
2012
October 12, 2012 W: 6,304 Chester A. Arthur
* (Suffrage Movement)
Susan Gamble
Phebe Hemphill
Phebe Hemphill
2012 Frances Cleveland 1st Term First Spouse Gold Coin Frances Cleveland
2012
November 15, 2012 W: 5,612 Grover Cleveland 1st Term
1886-1889
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
Barbara Fox
Michael Gaudioso
2012 Caroline Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin Caroline Harrison
2012
December 6, 2012 W: 5,482 Benjamin Harrison
1889-1892
Frank Morris
Michael Gaudioso
Donna Weaver
Charles Vickers
2012 Frances Cleveland 2nd Term First Spouse Gold Coin Frances Cleveland
2012
December 20, 2012 W: 5,529 Grover Cleveland 2nd Term
1893-1897
Barbara Fox
Phebe Hemphill
Joseph Menna
2013 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2013 Ida McKinley First Spouse Gold Coin Ida McKinley
2013
November 14, 2013 W: 4,732 William McKinley
1897-1901
Susan Gamble
Phebe Hemphill
Donna Weaver
Renata Gordon
2013 Edith Roosevelt First Spouse Gold Coin Edith Roosevelt
2013
November 21, 2013 W: 4,867 Theodore Roosevelt
1901-1909
Joel Iskowitz
Joseph Menna
Chris Costello
Don Everhart
2013 Helen Taft First Spouse Gold Coin Helen Taft
2013
December 2, 2013 W: 4,591 William Howard Taft
1909-1913
William C. Burgard
Phebe Hemphill
Richard Masters
Charles Vickers
2013 Ellen Wilson First Spouse Gold Coin Ellen Wilson
2013
December 9, 2013 W: 4,491 Woodrow Wilson
1913-1914
Frank Morris
Charles Vickers
Don Everhart
2013 Edith Wilson First Spouse Gold Coin Edith Wilson
2013
December 16, 2013 W: 4,438 Woodrow Wilson
1915-1921
David Westwood
Michael Gaudioso
Joseph Menna
2014 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2014 Florence Harding First Spouse Gold Coin Florence Harding
2014
July 10, 2014 W: 4,316 Warren G. Harding
1921-1923
Thomas Cleveland
Joseph Menna
Thomas Cleveland
Don Everhart
2014 Grace Coolidge First Spouse Gold Coin Grace Coolidge
2014
July 17, 2014 W: 4,264 Calvin Coolidge
1923-1929
Joel Iskowitz
Phebe Hemphill
Frank Morris
Jim Licaretz
2014 Lou Hoover First Spouse Gold Coin Lou Hoover
2014
August 14, 2014 W: 4,328 Herbert Hoover
1929-1933
Susan Gamble
Michael Gaudioso
Richard Masters
Jim Licaretz
2014 Eleanor Roosevelt First Spouse Gold Coin Eleanor Roosevelt
2014
September 4, 2014 W: 4,236 Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933-1945
Chris Costello
Phebe Hemphill
Chris Costello
Renata Gordon
2015 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2015 Bess Truman First Spouse Gold Coin Bess Truman
2015
April 16, 2015 W: 4,694 Harry S. Truman
1945-1953
Joel Iskowitz
Phebe Hemphill
Joel Iskowitz
Charles Vickers
2015 Mamie Eisenhower First Spouse Gold Coin Mamie Eisenhower
2015
May 7, 2015 W: 4,806 Dwight D. Eisenhower
1953-1961
Richard Masters
Joseph Menna
Barbara Fox
Renata Gordon
2015 Jacqueline Kennedy First Spouse Gold Coin Jacqueline Kennedy
2015
June 25, 2015 W: 17,993 John F. Kennedy
1961-1963
Susan Gamble
Phebe Hemphill
Benjamin Sowards
Jim Licaretz
2015 Lady Bird Johnson First Spouse Gold Coin Lady Bird Johnson
2015
August 27, 2015 W: 4,583 Lyndon B. Johnson
1963-1969
Linda Fox
Michael Gaudioso
Chris Costello
Renata Gordon
2016 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2016 Patricia Nixon First Spouse Gold Coin Pat Nixon
2016
February 18, 2016 W: 4,660 Richard Nixon
1969-1974
Richard Masters
Don Everhart
Richard Masters
Jim Licaretz
2016 Betty Ford First Spouse Gold Coin Elizabeth Ford
2016
March 25, 2016 W: 4,491 Gerald Ford
1974-1977
Barbara Fox
Michael Gaudioso
Chris Costello
Renata Gordon
2016 Nancy Reagan First Spouse Gold Coin Nancy Reagan
2016
July 1, 2016 W: 5,559 Ronald Reagan
1981-1989
Benjamin Sowards
Joseph Menna
Joel Iskowitz
Don Everhart
2020 First Spouse Gold Coins:
2016 Barbara Bush First Spouse Gold Coin Barbara Bush
2017
August 20, 2020 W: 3,987 George H. W. Bush
1989-1993
Benjamin Sowards
Phebe Hemphill
Barbara Fox
John P. McGraw
Possible Future First Spouse Gold Coins:
To Be Determined Rosalynn Carter
To Be Determined To Be Determined Jimmy Carter
1977-1981
To Be Determined To Be Determined
To Be Determined Hillary Clinton
To Be Determined To Be Determined Bill Clinton
1993-2001
To Be Determined To Be Determined
To Be Determined Laura Bush
To Be Determined To Be Determined George W. Bush
2001-2009
To Be Determined To Be Determined
To Be Determined Michelle Obama
To Be Determined To Be Determined Barack Obama
2009-2016
To Be Determined To Be Determined
To Be Determined Melania Trump
To Be Determined To Be Determined Donald Trump
2016-2020
To Be Determined To Be Determined
To Be Determined Jill Biden
To Be Determined To Be Determined Joe Biden
2020-present
To Be Determined To Be Determined

      - The gray area can sometimes be confusing. Not all of the first spouses will be honored during these years. In order for a spouse to qualify to be depicted on the gold coins, the US President must first qualify to be depicted on the Presidential Dollar Coins. In order for a President to qualify, they must be deceased for at least 2 years. At the moment, President George H.W. Bush currently qualifies as the last President in the dollar series. Because of this, Nancy Reagan is the last spouse to be eligible to be depicted in the First Spouse coin series. In addition, if any other President passes away within 2 years, they would be next to be depicted on the dollar coins and their first spouse would also then be depicted on the gold coins.




Coin Chart: Tap a '+' sign to expand further coin details. Click coin image to view full-size image.