(2012) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Alice Paul

Coin Details

Description

The Alice Paul bronze medal stands apart from the rest of the First Spouse series because Chester A. Arthur's wife Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur died of pneumonia in January 1881, before his accession to the presidency that September. Rather than employing the usual allegorical Liberty design for a president without a living spouse, the U.S. Mint honored Alice Paul, the renowned women's suffrage leader, recognizing her tireless advocacy for women's rights during a period that roughly corresponds to the late Gilded Age. The obverse, designed by Barbara Fox and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, presents a portrait of Alice Paul, the Quaker activist who led the militant wing of the American suffrage movement, organized the 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, founded the National Woman's Party, and was repeatedly arrested and force-fed during hunger strikes while imprisoned. The reverse, designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, depicts suffrage campaigners and protest imagery connected to the movement Paul led. Alice Paul authored the original Equal Rights Amendment in 1923 and continued advocating for its passage until her death in 1977. This unusual departure from the standard First Spouse format generated considerable collector interest and discussion when announced. Struck in bronze at 1-5/16 inches.

Rarity Notes

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during 2012 with open mintage. The unusual choice of honoring a suffragist rather than using the standard Liberty allegory makes this a distinctive entry that generates collector interest.

Cross References

PCGS #512938; companion to First Spouse Gold $10