US Gold Coins
Ida McKinley 2013 10 Dollars First Spouse Gold Coin
First Lady of the United States, 1897 — 1901
For a second year, the release of the First Spouse Gold Coins was delayed due to production problems at the United States Mint. After a delayed design review and selection process, the Mint revealed that they were experiencing a problem known as finning whereby excess metal can build up at the edges of the coin when pressed causing a bottle capping effect. The combined delays pushed the release dates for the year’s coins well into the fourth quarter.
The 2013 Ida McKinley First Spouse Gold Coin went on sale November 14, 2013. The obverse of the coin featured a portrait of the First Lady designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The inscriptions included “Ida McKinley” above, “In God We Trust” at left, “Liberty” and the “2013” date at right, and “25th 1897-1901″ below.
Ida Saxton McKinley was born in Canton, Ohio, on June 8, 1847. She met her future husband and president, William McKinley, while working at her father's bank, and they married in 1871. Ill health, including phlebitis and epilepsy, caused her to spend much of her time crocheting bedroom slippers that were auctioned off for charity. Despite her health problems, as first lady, Mrs. McKinley received guests at formal receptions seated in a blue velvet chair while holding a fragrant bouquet to suggest she would not shake hands. After President McKinley's assassination in 1901, she moved back to Canton, where her younger sister looked after her. She died in 1907.
The reverse of the coin, designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Renata Gordon, featured an image of two hands crocheting. This was intended to be representative of Ida McKinley’s work in crocheting thousands of slippers which were auctioned to raise money for charity. The inscriptions around the circumference include “United States of America”, “E Pluribus Unum”, “$10″, “1/2 oz.”, and “.9999 Fine Gold”.
At the start of sales the coins were priced at $840 for the proof version and $820 for the uncirculated version. This represented the lowest initial pricing for the series in several years due to a drop in the market price of gold. Throughout the availability period, pricing would be adjusted based on the weekly average price of the metal.
The Ida McKinley First Spouse Coins carried a maximum mintage of 10,000 pieces across the proof and uncirculated versions. This represented a reduction from the 13,000 maximum established for the prior year releases of the series.
Coin Specifications and Mintages
Date: 2013
Mint: West Point (W)
Mintage: TBD
Designers: Susan Gamble (obverse), Donna Weaver (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