Obverse. Image Courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com)
  • 10 Dollars 2015, KM# 615, United States of America (USA), First Spouse Program, Lady Bird Johnson
  • 10 Dollars 2015, KM# 615, United States of America (USA), First Spouse Program, Lady Bird Johnson
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 Lady Bird Johnson. The inscriptions include “Lady Bird Johnson”, the motto “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, the order of the Presidency “36th”, the dates of the Presidential term "1963-1969", and the date and mintmark "W".

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (née Taylor; 1912–2007) was an American socialite who served as first lady of the United States as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1963 to 1969. She previously served as second lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963 when her husband was vice president.

Notably well educated for a woman of her era, Lady Bird proved a capable manager and a successful investor. After marrying Lyndon B. Johnson in 1934 when he was a political hopeful in Austin, Texas, she used a modest inheritance to bankroll his congressional campaign and then ran his office while he served in the Navy.

As First Lady, Mrs. Johnson broke new ground by interacting directly with Congress, employing her own press secretary, and making a solo electioneering tour. She was an advocate for beautifying the nation's cities and highways ("Where flowers bloom, so does hope"). The Highway Beautification Act was informally known as "Lady Bird's Bill". She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1984, the highest honors bestowed upon a U.S. civilian.

Design: Linda Fox (LLF)
Modelling: Michael Gaudioso (MG)

LADY BIRD JOHNSON
IN GOD
WE
TRUST
LIBERTY
2015
W
LLF MG
36th 1963-1969

Reverse

Depicts the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument with flowers growing in the foreground. A stylized inscription above reads “Beautify our cities, parks & highways”. The design was created in reference to Mrs. Johnson’s efforts in the beautification and conservation of America, which began in Washington, D.C. Inscriptions around the outer rim read “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, “$10”, and “1/2 oz. .9999 Fine Gold”.

The Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial built in Washington, D.C. between 1939 and 1943 under the sponsorship of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt thought that it was a suitable memorial to the Founding Fathers of the United States and to Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the founder of the Democratic-Republican Party. The neoclassical building is situated in West Potomac Park on the shore of the Potomac River.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington. Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial, the monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest predominantly stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk.

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

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEAUTIFY OUR
CITIES, PARKS
& HIGHWAYS
CTC RG
• E PLURIBUS UNUM • $10 • 1/2 Oz. .9999 FINE GOLD •

Edge

10 Dollars

Bullion Coinage
KM# 615
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)

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