(2007) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Martha Washington

Coin Details

Description

The Martha Washington bronze medal inaugurated the First Spouse Bronze Medal program in 2007, offering collectors an affordable companion to the half-ounce gold coin honoring America's first First Lady. The obverse bears a portrait of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington designed by Joseph Menna, depicting her in the formal style befitting a woman who managed the social obligations of the new presidency with considerable skill. Martha Washington was a wealthy widow when she married George Washington in 1759, and she brought significant financial resources and plantation management experience to their partnership. During the Revolutionary War she joined her husband at winter encampments, including Valley Forge, where she organized sewing circles and visited sick soldiers. The reverse, designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Charles Vickers, shows Martha Washington tending to troops at Valley Forge, a scene that captures her dedication to the Continental Army's welfare. The bronze medal measures 1-5/16 inches in diameter, matching the dimensions of the companion gold coin but struck in a base metal composition that made the series accessible to a broad collecting audience. The U.S. Mint produced these medals without mintage limits during their year of issue.

Rarity Notes

Produced at the Philadelphia Mint without a stated mintage limit. As the first issue in the series, the Martha Washington medal attracted strong initial collector interest. Readily available on the secondary market at modest premiums above original issue price.

Cross References

PCGS #151300; companion to First Spouse Gold $10 (PCGS #393210)