First Ladies Will Be Golden

The Martha Washington gold coin will be the first of the new series on first ladies. (U.s. Mint Via Ap)

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Thursday, December 21, 2006

For the first time, the U.S. Mint is dedicating a series of coins to the accomplishments of women -- the nation's first ladies.

Starting with Martha Washington, all of them are to be honored on a series of commemorative half-ounce gold coins that will be companions to a series of circulating $1 coins that the Mint is producing to honor the presidents.

"Each coin is a half-ounce of pure gold. You might say they are the presidents' better half," said Mint Director Edmund Moy, who unveiled the designs on the first four coins earlier this week at the National First Ladies Library in Canton, Ohio.

Both the presidential one-dollar coins and the series honoring the first ladies were authorized in 2005 by Congress and will start appearing next year.

The first ladies' coins for next year, expected to cost more than $300 each, are coming out in May before Mother's Day. There will be a less expensive bronze duplicate of each of the coins in the spouse series offered for $3 to $4.

Four new designs for the $1 coin and the golden first ladies' coin will be introduced each year in the order that the president served. All presidents and first ladies will be honored; only those who have been dead for at least two years can appear on a coin.

-- Associated Press