This gold coin was released by the U.S. Mint to honor Louisa Adams, wife and first lady of President John Quincy Adams. It was first issued in 2008 and can be found in both uncirculated and proof condition. It is a unique product as most U.S. gold coins feature presidents and it is one of the few to honor the wife of a president instead. It is part of the First Spouse program, which was established by the American government to honor the spouses of American presidents.

Half ounce coins with a denomination of $10 were issued that feature the portraits of first ladies on the coinage. The coins are set to be released when the respective Presidential $1 coins are issued, which themselves are designed to honor American presidents. The Proof variants of the Louisa Adams coins were higher in price than their uncirculated counterparts at their initial release. This particular coin and the First Spouse products in general are of great interest to history buffs and anyone who is looking to collect a coin that may carry significant collection value in the future.

Origins

Louisa Adams was First Lady between 1825 and 1829. She was the first non-American woman to serve in this role, having been born in London. She married John Quincy Adams in 1797 and together they had four children. She was known to be a great hostess; her theater parties attracted various dignitaries and socialites from the Washington D.C. area. She enjoyed literature and was skilled at playing the harp, but was also frequently ill due to migraine headaches. John Quincy Adams also served as Secretary of State under James Monroe which required the family to move to Washington D.C. During this time the drawing room which Louisa used become an important diplomatic corps center.

Coin Highlights

Also known as the First Spouse, the coin’s obverse side depicts an image of Louisa Adams which was created by sculptor Phebe Hemphill and designer Susan Gamble. Inscriptions that can be found on this side of the coin include “Liberty” “Louisa Adams” and in “God We Trust.” The coin’s reverse side depicts an image of Louisa and her son Charles as they travel throughout Europe. They eventually arrived to Paris were they joined John Quincy Adams.

Inscriptions that can be seen on the coin’s reverse side include “E Pluribus Unum,” as well as the denomination and gold purity, which is .9999 percent. This coin has attracted interest among a number of collectors, who in particular are interested in the lower mintage variants. This coin has been compared to some of the gold commemoratives which were released during the 1990s, which had great appreciation on the secondary market, although initial reception for them was lukewarm.

Mintages for this series have been restricted to no more than 40,000 units, although just over 10,400 have been issued so far. The West Point mint is responsible for their manufacture with Donna Weaver producing the artwork on the reverse side.