Today, Oct. 23, the United States Mint began selling its 2014 First Spouse Bronze Four-Medal Set for $16.95, the same price as last year’s set.
The medals, struck at the Philadelphia Mint, bear the same designs as those on this year’s First Spouse Gold Coins honoring Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, Lou Hoover and Anna Eleanor.
Composed from 90% copper and 10% zinc and minted to a diameter of 1-5/16 inches, obverses have a portrait of the honored first lady while reverses portray a scene about her life. Summary design details and images of the bronze medals follow, along with links to CoinNews.net articles about the companion 2014 First Spouse Gold Coins.
Florence, wife to Warren G. Harding who was the 29th U.S. President (1921-1923), is remembered for championing the cause of World War I veterans and supporting her husband’s political career.
The reverse of her bronze medal symbolize these aspects of her life. The initials WWV that form a torch and transform into a pen at its base represent her correspondence with World War I veterans, their spouses, and widows. The camera represents her orchestration of photo opportunities supporting her husband’s campaign. The ballot box represents her distinction as the first First Lady to cast a vote for a presidential candidate, her husband.
| Obverse Designer: Thomas Cleveland Engraver: Joseph Menna |
Reverse Designer: Thomas Cleveland Engraver: Don Everhart |
Grace, wife to Calvin Coolidge who was the 30th U.S. President (1923-1929), was an advocate for the deaf and hearing impaired. The reverse of her bronze medal depicts three hands finger-spelling the letters USA in American Sign Language. The White House appears in the background.
| Obverse Designer: Joel Iskowitz Engraver: Phebe Hemphill |
Reverse Designer: Frank Morris Engraver: Jim Licaretz |
Lou, wife to Herbert Hoover who was the 31st U.S. President (1929-1933), is remembered as the first First Lady to give a public radio address. This is symbolized on the medal’s reverse with a late 1920’s radio set.
| Obverse Designer: Susan Gamble Engraver: Michael Gaudioso |
Reverse Designer: Richard Masters Engraver: Jim Licaretz |
Eleanor, the wife to Franklin D. Roosevelt who was the 32nd U.S. President (1933-1945), is remembered for her humanitarian initiatives. The reverse of the bronze medal features Mrs. Roosevelt’s right hand lighting a candle. The glowing light rising over a stylized graphic of the Earth’s curved horizon symbolizes her life’s work and the global impact of her humanitarian initiatives. Adlai Stevenson remarked after her death: "She would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world."
| Obverse Designer: Chris Costello Engraver: Phebe Hemphill |
Reverse Designer: Chris Costello Engraver: Renata Gordon |
Ordering First Spouse Bronze Four-Medal Sets
2014 First Spouse Bronze Four-Medal Sets may be ordered online here, or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
The medals are in Mylar® on a durable folded card that includes production information. The card is placed within a custom-made envelope.
First Spouse Bronze Medal Sets for years 2010, 2011, and 2012 are still available. Last year’s set is not.
I heard that this set is already sold out at the US mint site. Is there anyway to find out what the sales total was?
I looking for the 2014 first spouse medals / bronze 1 set
Before the second batch of 3,150 for the 2014 First Spouse Four-Medal Sets was released on February 10, 2015, the first batch of 7,500 that sold out by November 19, 2014 had sets reselling for as high as $259.50 + $8.50 shipping such as ebay item #331431263397 that sold on December 31, 2014 @ 10:51AM from seller jimbo7296. However last month for a 2014 First Spouse Four-Medal Set, ebay item #291536468093 sold for as low as $29.95 with free shipping on August 11, 2015 @ 08:42:09 PDT from seller jeffgene. Therefore the second batch of 2014 First Spouse Four-Medal Sets… Read more »