US Gold Coins
Ellen Wilson 2013 10 Dollars First Spouse Gold Coin
First Lady of the United States, 1913 — 1914
The 2013 Ellen Wilson First Spouse Gold Coin represented the first of two different coins issued for the 28th Presidency. Since President Woodrow Wilson had both a first and second wife while in office, both First Ladies were honored on separately issued coins. This was the second instance of the series when a Presidency was marked by the issuance of two different coins.
The obverse, which was designed by Frank Morris and engraved by Charles Vickers, featured a near profile portrait of Ellen Wilson. The surrounding inscriptions read “Ellen Wilson”, “In God We Trust”, “Liberty”, “2013 W”, “28th”, and the dates as First Lady “1913-1914″.
Ellen Louise Axson Wilson was born May 15, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister. Her future husband and president, Woodrow Wilson, whose father was also a Presbyterian minister, was about six years old when he met her as an infant. They met again in 1883 when he was a lawyer in Atlanta, and they married two years later. When they arrived at the White House in 1913 after his long career in academia and as governor of New Jersey, she installed her own art studio there. An accomplished artist who sketched and painted landscapes and portraits, her artwork was displayed in shows while she was serving as first lady. Mrs. Wilson supported various causes, including the need for child labor laws and education projects in Appalachia. She is probably best known for initiating and overseeing the creation of the famous White House Rose Garden. She died in 1914 of Bright's Disease.
The reverse design of the coin featured an image of roses with the White House visible in the background. This design was intended to be a tribute to Mrs. Wilson’s creation of the White House Rose Garden. The final design was modified slightly from the original proposal, with the overlap of the roses and the White House eliminated. The reverse was designed and engraved by Don Everhart.
Inscriptions on the reverse included “United States of America”, the motto “E Pluribus Unum”, the legal tender denomination “$10″, and the precious metal purity and weight of “1/2 oz .9999 Fine Gold”.
Continuing the rapid schedule of release, sales for the Ellen Wilson First Spouse Gold Coins began on December 9, 2013. The US Mint offered proof and uncirculated versions of the coin with a combined maximum mintage of 10,000 pieces.
Initial pricing for the coins was $815 for the proof version and $795 for the uncirculated version. These prices were based on an average gold price within the $1,200 to $1,249.99 range and remained subject to potential adjustment throughout the course of the offering.
Coin Specifications and Mintages
Date: 2013
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: Frank Morris (obverse), Don Everhart (reverse)
Composition: 0.9999 Gold
Weight: 0.5000 troy oz. (15.554 g)
Diameter: 1.041 inches (26.49 mm)
Thickness: 0.074 inches (1.88 mm)
US Gold Coins
First Spouse Gold Coins Program
2007 First Spouse Gold Coins
2008 First Spouse Gold Coins
2009 First Spouse Gold Coins
2010 First Spouse Gold Coins
2011 First Spouse Gold Coins
2012 First Spouse Gold Coins
2013 First Spouse Gold Coins
2014 First Spouse Gold Coins
2015 First Spouse Gold Coins