Description

The Nation’s First Ladies are being honored on a series of one-half ounce 24 karat gold coins. The coins are considered numismatic items and have a nominal face value of $10. Typically, four different designs are released per year featuring the spouses of the Presidents in the order served. The First Spouse Gold Coins represent the first time that the United States Mint has featured women on a consecutive series of coins.

The program was authorized under Public Law 109-145 The Presidential $1 Coin Act. In addition to authorizing the Presidential Dollars series, which features the former Presidents in the order served, the law also provided for the issuance of gold coins featuring the President’s spouses.

For Presidents who served in office with a first and second wife, two gold coins are issued for the Presidency. For Presidents who served in office without a spouse, a depiction of Liberty is presented on the obverse of the coin for four instances, with Suffragist Alice Paul depicted for the final instance.

The obverse of each First Spouse coin features a portrait of the spouse being honored. The reverse design of each coin contains images emblematic of the spouse being honored. Some of the reverse designs so far have included memorable scenes from the spouse’s life, or images representative of their major contributions, themes, or accomplishments.

Obverse

Depicts a portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt. The inscriptions include “Eleanor Roosevelt”, the motto “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, the order of the Presidency “32nd”, the dates of the Presidential term "1933-1945", and the date and mintmark "W".

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She served as the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office, making her the longest-serving first lady of the United States. Roosevelt served as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952.

She was the first presidential spouse to hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column, write a monthly magazine column, host a weekly radio show, and speak at a national party convention.

Design: Chris Costello (CTC)
Modelling: Phebe Hemphill (PH)

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
IN GOD
WE
TRUST
LIBERTY
2014
W
CTC PH
32nd 1933-1945

Reverse

Depicts Mrs. Roosevelt's lighting a candle with the glow from its light rising over a stylized graphic of the Earth's horizon to symbolize her life's work and the global impact of her humanitarian initiatives. This design was inspired by a quote from Adlai Stevenson following her death: "She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world. The inscriptions include “United States of America”, the motto “E Pluribus Unum”, the denomination “$10”, the precious metal weight and purity of “1/2 oz. .9999 Fine Gold”.

Design: Chris Costello (CTC)
Modelling: Renata Gordon (RG)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
CTC RG
• E PLURIBUS UNUM • $10 • 1/2 Oz. .9999 FINE GOLD •

Edge

10 Dollars

Bullion Coinage
KM# 596
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Gold
Fineness 0.999
Weight 15.554 g
Diameter 26.5 mm
Thickness 1.88 mm
Shape round
Alignment Coin
Mint
West Point Mint (W)

Related coins

Bullion Coinage, Martha Washington

First Spouse Program

Gold, 15.552 g, ⌀ 26.5 mm
Bullion Coinage, Abigail Adams

First Spouse Program

Gold, 15.552 g, ⌀ 26.5 mm
Bullion Coinage, Thomas Jefferson’s Liberty

First Spouse Program

Gold, 15.552 g, ⌀ 26.5 mm