The last of the 2009 editions of the First Spouse Gold Coins was released on December 3, 2009. The First Spouse Coins were part of the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. It was signed by President Bush on December 22, 2005. It called for coins to be made of .9999 pure gold in conjunction with the Presidential coins. The coins are available in proof and uncirculated versions, as well as bronze. Each coin is to made honoring the First Lady with the obverse side being a portrait and the other side depicting her "life and work." They are also to have the First Lady's name, date the coin is issued, mint marking, dates as the First Lady, "Liberty", "In God We Trust", "United States of America", "$10", "E Pluribus Unum" and "1/2 oz. .9999 fine gold." Read the rest of this entry »

On December 3, 2009, the United States Mint released the last of the 2009 First Spouse Gold Coins. The coin was of Margaret Taylor, the wife of 12th President Zachary Taylor. She remained the First Lady from 1849 to 1850. The coin for First Lady Margaret Taylor has a portrait of her on the obverse side, designed by Phebe Hemphill and sculpted by Charles Vickers. It also has the inscriptions of “Margaret Taylor", "Liberty" "In God We Trust,” “LIBERTY,” “2009" and “12th 1849-1850" (the years she served as the spouse of a president). It also has the "W" mint mark to indicate being struck at West Point Mint in New York. Read the rest of this entry »

On April 2, 1792, Americans witnessed the passage of the Mint Act. This important Act led to the creation of Philadelphia's mint, and paved the way for the production of the currency that is presently used by the United States today. Thomas Jefferson is the original founder of the coin classification system, and was adamant that the United States have it's own personal mint in operation. When the 1792 Mint Act passed, it brought Jefferson's visions for the coinage system into reality, and established the first legitimate mint in the country. It also set the United States' dollar value at 24.75 gold grains. Read the rest of this entry »