Coin Blog

The US Mint will soon offer the 2009 Anna Harrison First Spouse Coins. This will be the first release for the third year of the program created to honor the First Spouses of Presidents. In 2009 there will be a total of five First Spouse Coins issued since John Tyler had a first and second wife.

The Anna Harrison coin features an obverse designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Joseph Menna. The reverse was designed by Thomas Cleveland and suclpted by Charles Vickers. The obverse shows a portrait of the First Lady. The reverse shows Mrs. Harrison sharing her love of education and learning with a group of children.

The coins have been limited to a mintage of 40,000 coins and will be offered in both proof and uncirculated versions. The ratio of proof to uncirculated coins will be determined based on customer demand. The coins are expected to remain on sale for approximately one year or until the coins have sold out. The official release date is March 5, 2009.

Each coin contains one half ounce of 24 karat gold. The next spouse to be honored will be Letitia Tyler, which should be released during the spring.

The United States Mint has released the designs for the 2009 First Spouse Gold Coins. There will be five different coins released, instead of the usual four coins. This is because President John Tyler had a first and second wife while in office. First Spouses honored in 2009 will include Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler, Julia Tyler, Sarah Polk, and Margaret Taylor.

Anna Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin - first release for 2009. The obverse was designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Joseph Menna. The reverse was designed by Thomas Cleveland and sculpted by Charles Vickers

Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin - second release for 2009. The obverse was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The reverse was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Norman E. Nemeth.

Julia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin - third release for 2009. The obverse and reverse were designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.

Sarah Polk First Spouse Gold Coin - fourth release for 2009. The obverse and reverse were designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.

Margaret Taylor First Spouse Gold Coin - fifth release for 2009. The obverse was designed by Phebe Hemphill and sculpted by Charles Vickers. The reverse was designed by Mary Beth Zietz and sculpted by Jim Licaretz.

Today the US Mint will release the next coin in the First Spouse Gold Coin Series, honoring Louisa Adams. This will mark the second release of 2008 for the series and the sixth coin release overall.

The coin will contain one-half ounce of 24 karat gold and is limited to 40,000 units.  The maximum units will be divided between proof and uncirculated versions of the coin based on demand.

The front of the coin features a portrait of the First Lady designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.  The back of the coin, designed and sculpted by Joseph Menna,  features Louisa Adams with her son Charles on a journey across Europe to join her husband.

The Mint has priced the coins at $619.95 for the proof version and $599.95 for the uncirculated version.  Ordering is initially limited to one per household per option.

The Elizabeth Monroe coin is the fifth release of the First Spouse Gold Coin Series.  The series began in 2007 and will run until at least 2016.

The Monroe coin features a portrait of the First Lady on the obverse of the coin.  The reverse shows her reopening the White House after its burning at the hands of the British.

Similar to prior coins in the series, the coin carries a $10 face value and contains one half ounce of 24 karat gold.  Coins are offered in both proof and uncirculated versions. The maximum authorized mintage is 40,000 coins across both ordering options.