First Spouse Bronze Medals

About This Coin

Authorized under the same 2005 Presidential $1 Coin Act that created the Presidential dollar series, First Spouse Bronze Medals are the affordable companion pieces to the gold First Spouse bullion coins, sharing identical designs but struck in bronze at the Philadelphia Mint rather than in half-ounce .9999 fine gold. Each medal honors a first lady (or, in cases where a president was unmarried or widowed, depicts an allegorical Liberty design), with the obverse presenting a portrait and the reverse illustrating a theme representing the first lady's contributions to American life and history. The program launched in 2007 alongside the Abigail Adams and Martha Washington gold coins and ran concurrently with the Presidential dollar series through its completion. The bronze medals provide collectors access to the artistry of the First Spouse program — designs by artists including Don Everhart, Joel Iskowitz, and Donna Weaver — at a fraction of the cost of their gold counterparts. Typical medal dimensions match the gold versions at approximately 26.5 millimeters in diameter, and the Mint sold them individually and in sets through its direct sales channels. While most issues remain readily available, early releases and certain low-demand figures have seen modest secondary market appreciation. A notable auction result reached $540 in MS70BN grade at eBay, reflecting the ceiling for perfect-grade specimens. Grading considerations focus on contact marks from Mint packaging and the quality of the original bronze surfaces, as these medals were produced to Mint State standards. The series represents an important intersection of numismatics and women's history, documenting the evolving role of the presidential spouse through the medallic arts.