Introduction - Series at a Glance

The United States is honoring the spouses of each of the Presidents honored by the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 by issuing half-ounce $10 gold coins featuring their images in order that they served as First Spouse, beginning in 2007. To date, all first spouses have been women (often called First Ladies) but the law uses the term "First Spouse". The legislation stipulates that, along with each president, his spouse is to be honored on a non-circulating $10 gold piece.
The obverse of these coins features portraits of the Nation’s First Spouses, their names, the dates and order of their terms as first spouse, as well as the year of minting or issuance, and the words "In God We Trust" and "Liberty." The United States Mint issues First Spouse Gold Coins on the same schedule as the Presidential $1 Coins issued honoring the Presidents. Each coin has a unique reverse design featuring an image emblematic of that spouse’s life and work, as well as the words "The United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum," "$10," "1/2 oz.," and ".9999 Fine Gold."
An exception to the normal design is for those presidents who served without a First Spouse, as Thomas Jefferson did. In that case the design on the gold coin differs, bearing an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin of that era, and bearing a reverse image emblematic of themes of that President. Another exception is the coin depicting suffragist Alice Paul representing the era of the Chester A. Arthur presidency, as Arthur was a widower.

The act, as written, explicitly states that the first spouse coins will be released at the same time as their respective $1 President coins. Because the act links a First Spouse's eligibility for a coin to that of the Presidential spouse, it means that a living First Spouse may appear on a coin. Currently, one living First Lady, Nancy Reagan, is eligible.

The United States Mint launched the first spouse coins officially at 12pm EDT on June 19, 2007. They provided two versions of the coin: a proof version for $429.95 and an uncirculated version for $410.95. However, ue to volatility in the gold market, the U.S. Mint lowered the price to $549.95 on November 12, 2008 to more accurately reflect the current spot price of gold.The United States Mint also produces bronze medal duplicates of the First Spouse Gold Coins which are not legal tender but are available for purchase by the public.

Each year, four new dollars will be released by the mint, approximately one every 13 weeks. The coins are released in the order of presidencies with presidents serving non-consecutive terms being issued more than one coin, one for each term. Presidents still alive when their turn to be honored has come will not be placed on coins at that time. Although presidents cannot be placed on a coin until their death, first spouses must be put on a coin in the same year as the respective president, thus first spouses may be placed on coins while still living.

Though not released directly with their respective presidential dollars, each first spouse coin will be released in the same year as the dollar, meaning four gold commemoratives will be released each year. However, should a president have had more than one spouse while in office, such as John Tyler, each spouse's coin will be released, resulting in five or more commemoratives that year. Presidents with no spouse while in office will have a depiction of Liberty placed on a $10 gold coin. In addition to the gold coins, bronze medals will be produced for each first spouse by the U.S. Mint.