We are used to seeing past presidents on coins, but what about their wives?
The U.S. Mint has revealed designs for the 2014 First Spouse Gold Coins. This is the eighth year the Mint has released these 1/2-ounce 24 karat gold coin series honoring the First Ladies of the United States.
This year’s collection includes the wives of the 29th to the 32nd presidents – Florence Hardin, Grace Coolidge, Lou Hoover and Eleanor Roosevelt. The front side of each coin features a portrait of the woman, while the reverse shows symbols of her work:
Florence Harding worked with World War I veterans and their families, and was the first First Lady to cast a vote in a presidential election. Her coin features a ballot box, the letters WWV, and a camera to symbolize her use of photography in her husband’s campaign.
Grace Coolidge advocated for the deaf and hearing impaired, as displayed by the hands spelling “USA” in sign language on the reverse of her coin.
Lou Hoover was the first First Lady to give a public address on the radio. Her coin features a radio with the date of the address – April 19,1929.
Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated her life’s work to humanitarianism. The reverse side of her coin shows a hand lighting a candle to represent how “her glow has warmed the world.”
The release dates for the coins has not been announced.
See the coins here: http://news.coinupdate.com/designs-selected-for-first-spouse-gold-coins-3282/