(2010) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Mary Lincoln

Coin Details

Description

The Mary Lincoln bronze medal honors one of the most controversial and tragic figures to serve as First Lady. Mary Ann Todd Lincoln was born into a prominent Kentucky slaveholding family, and her marriage to Abraham Lincoln in 1842 united a woman of considerable education and social ambition with a rising Illinois lawyer and politician. The obverse portrait, designed by Phebe Hemphill, shows a woman who was both celebrated for her intelligence and criticized for her extravagant spending during wartime. Mary Lincoln's elaborate White House renovations and expensive wardrobe drew sharp public criticism while the Civil War raged, and her emotional volatility and erratic behavior were subjects of constant gossip. The reverse, designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart, depicts a scene related to her life and contributions. The death of her son Willie in the White House in February 1862 devastated Mary Lincoln, who held seances in an attempt to contact him. After Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, she spiraled further into grief and financial anxiety. Her son Robert had her committed to an asylum in 1875, though she was released after four months through the legal efforts of Myra Bradwell. The medal is struck in bronze at 1-5/16 inches.

Rarity Notes

Produced at the Philadelphia Mint during 2010 with open mintage. Mary Lincoln's historical prominence makes this a popular issue among series collectors.

Cross References

PCGS #418876; companion to First Spouse Gold $10