Presidential Gold Coins

Move Over Ulysses: Julia Grant Gold Coin Makes Debut

When the U.S. Mint unveiled a coin in May to memorialize our 18th President, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site at Grantwood Village threw a big party and 500 people attended.

However, when the U.S. Mint unveiled a special coin on June 23 to memorialize our 18th President's lovely wife, Julia Dent Grant, the National Park Service (NPS) historic museum site did nothing.

So what gives? Are women simply getting slighted once again? Is Julia Dent Grant being relegated to a footnote in the former president's life and times? Is sexism rearing its ugly head at the general's museum on 7400 Grant Road?

"No sexism here," insisted Tim Good, superintendent of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. "We think very highly of Julia Dent Grant here. In fact, the NPS made a point in establishing this site that Julia was to have special emphasis in museum interpretation - a kind a 50-50 deal with her husband.

"Julia Dent Grant was of immense support to her husband," added Good. "She was with him through the bad times and the good times - poverty and prosperity. And she was a great consolation to him later in life as he was dying of throat cancer."

Of course, there might be another factor in the more low-key roll out of the Julia Dent Grant issue. The Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coin is a 24-karat fine gold mint with its pricing based on the price structure of any precious metal. That would put a hefty price tag on the coin given the current valuations on gold.

The coin contains one-half ounce of gold. The Mint's numismatic gold pricing policy is based on the London Fix weekly average of gold. In recent weeks, a full ounce of gold has been fluctuating at more than $1,500. Factoring in that cost, the Mint has put the price of a Julia Dent Grant gold coin at more than $900.

There was no gold in the $1 Grant coins that the Mint made available at the May 19 event at the national historic site. The sales of those coins to attendees were coordinated by Commerce Bank, and they went like hot cakes.

"More than 10,000 coins were sold at $1 a piece," said Good. "It was a pretty incredible turnout and sale. We need to find out whether the Mint has ever had a First Spouse coin sale offering like the presidential sale we had here."

Obviously, the public would need to be packing a lot more greenbacks for such a historic event.

TRIVIA: Something You May Not Know About US Coinage

These $1 Presidential coins feature large, dramatic artwork, as well as edge-incused inscriptions of the year of minting, or issuance, E PLURIBUS UNUM and the mint mark. In 2009 "In God We Trust" was moved from the edge to the face of the coin. The size, weight and metal composition of the Presidential $1 Coins are identical to that of the Sacagawea Golden Dollar and the Native American $1 coin. You probably know that the First Spouse Gold Coin obverses (heads sides) feature portraits of the first spouses, their names, the order and years of their term as first spouse, the year of minting or issuance, IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY . Each coin has a unique reverse (tails) design featuring an image emblematic of that spouse's life and work, as well as the inscriptions THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, $10, 1/2 OZ. and .9999 FINE GOLD . When a President served without a first spouse, as did James Buchanan, a gold coin is issued bearing an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin of that era, and a reverse image emblematic of a theme of that President's life. The coin is inscribed with the years and order of that President's term. So far 4 Non Spouse Gold Coins have been issued. Remember so far four non spouse $10 Gold bullion coins have been issued. I will present you with a link to an image of each non spouse Presidential Dollar followed by a link to the image of the First Spouse Gold coin bearing a Liberty design featured on a coin minted during the non souse president's tenure. Presidential Dollar images and the Liberty (non Spouse) coin photos are US mint images (to see reverse on Liberty design move cursor to edge of image). A third link is to an image of a coin minted during the non espousal President's term of office: Angelica Singleton Van Buren, wife of Martin Van Buren's oldest son, Abraham, assumed the duties of First Lady for her father-in-law, President Van Buren, also a widower while holding office. She held such a prominent roll that her portrait continues to hang in the White House. A replica painting also hangs above the fireplace in the bedroom she occupied when visiting Martin Van Buren's retirement estate. Angelica was a cousin to Dolly Madison.

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