First Spouse Gold Coins honor American First Ladies with one-half ounce, 24 karat pure gold coins minted in collector proof and uncirculated versions.

Currently, the U.S. Mint is directly selling four coins from the series. Two of those were released last year, two this year, and two more are forthcoming before 2011. Those, as shown in the image above, include:

• 2010 Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coins – Issued March 18, 2010
• 2010 Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coins – Issued June 3, 2010
• 2010 Buchanan’s Liberty First Spouse Gold Coins – Issue Date of September 2010
• 2010 Mary Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coins – Issue Date of December 2010
• 2009 Sarah Polk First Spouse Coin – Issued September 3, 2009
• 2009 Margaret Taylor First Spouse Coin – Issued December 3, 2009

The gold pieces, launched in 2007 and set to last until 2016, compliment and are released on the same schedule as the United States Mint Presidential $1 program which honors past Presidents at a rate of four coins each year. The Mint normally offers each coin for about a year. When a new one is released, it stops selling the oldest.

U.S. Mint First Spouse Gold Coin Program

The United States Mint First Spouse Gold Coin Program is the first to feature women in a consecutive series of legal tender coins. The series of gold coins is authorized through the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, which was signed into law (Public Law 109-145) on Dec. 22, 2005 by President George Bush. It calls for the following First Spouse Gold Coin specifications (follow the link for more detail):

• A $10 denomination
• The same diameter as the $1 coins
• 0.5 ounces in weight
• .9999 fine pure gold (24 karat)
• And issued as counterparts and during the same period as the circulating Presidential $1 Coins

There are two cases where a President has had more than one spouse during service and two First Spouse Coins are to be issued, like John Tyler. Tyler’s first wife Letitia died during his second year in office. Tyler later married Julia while still President. Under the program, the U.S. Mint issued both Letitia and Julia First Spouse Coins.

Additionally, the law authorizes First Spouse Medals made from bronze. The 1 5/16" medals bear the likeness of each gold coin and are sold by the United States Mint for $3.50 each.

Gold Coin Designs

The gold series has included some of the most interesting designs of modern times.

The obverse or heads side of the each features a portrait of the the first lady. There are instances when a U.S. President has served without a spouse, like Jefferson, Jackson and and Martin Van Buren. For these a design is used which is "emblematic of the concept of Liberty" and represented on a coin during the President’s years in office.

Each coin’s obverse also includes inscriptions of the spouse’s name, IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, year of minting, the order her husband served, and the years served.

The coins’ reverse or tails side depicts a scene typical of the spouse’s "life and work." For example, Dolley Madison’s coin shows a scene of her saving the Cabinet papers and the renowned portrait of George Washington as she was forced to flee the White House in advance of approaching British troops in 1814.

A design featuring a theme depicting the President is used when there was no spouse while serving.

Included reverse inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, $10, 1/2 OZ., and .9999 FINE GOLD.

First Spouse Gold Coin Pricing

The U.S. Mint set fixed prices for First Spouse Gold Coins in 2007 and 2008. In January 2009, however, it announced a new gold coin pricing policy which can result in weekly price changes. The Mint summarized the policy:

Instead of static pricing, coin prices will be primarily determined and actively adjusted according to the London Fix weekly average. The Mint said this was to "mitigate the effect that fluctuating gold and platinum commodity costs" has on coins. The London Fix is used as a price benchmark for immediate silver, gold and platinum delivery.

To determine prices, the Mint takes the London Fix gold prices covering the previous Thursday a.m. Fix through the Wednesday a.m. Fix. If this average moves above or below a pre-determined $50 threshold (see pricing policy link immediately above) first lady coins or moved up or down by $25.

Spouse Coin Mintages and Release Dates

Just as the pricing policy for the spouse series has changed, so has their mintages. The Mint initially set a maximum of 40,000 strikings per release. For example, the uncirculated and proof Martha Washington coins had a combined mintage of 40,000. The Mint changed the amount in 2010, cutting down the authorized mintage to 15,000 per release. This site’s First Spouse Gold Coin Sales Guide provide the latest sales/mintages per coin.

As mentioned previously, spouse coins are issued during the same time frame as their corresponding Presidential $1 coins. This means there are four issues each year, except in cases where a President has had more than one wife while serving.

Exact launch dates are usually published for each coin about three months prior to their release. Until then, only generalized times are known, although the year a coin will be issued is, as shown on this site’s First Spouse Gold Coin Release Dates page.