(2012) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Frances Cleveland 2nd

Coin Details

Description

The second Frances Cleveland bronze medal covers her return to the White House during Grover Cleveland's second term from 1893 to 1897. True to her prediction four years earlier, Frances Cleveland came back to the executive mansion, becoming the only First Lady to serve two non-consecutive terms alongside her husband. The obverse, designed by Barbara Fox and sculpted by Joseph Menna, presents a slightly more mature portrait than the first-term medal, reflecting the passage of years since her initial tenure. During the second term, Frances Cleveland became the first presidential spouse to give birth in the White House when daughter Esther was born on September 9, 1893, an event that captivated the nation. The family's second daughter Marion was born in 1895. The reverse, designed by Barbara Fox and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso, references her role as both First Lady and mother during the second Cleveland administration. After leaving the White House in 1897, Grover Cleveland died in 1908, and Frances Cleveland remarried in 1913, becoming Frances Cleveland Preston. She remained active in public life and was a vocal supporter of Princeton University and various charitable organizations until her death in 1947 at age eighty-three, having outlived Grover Cleveland by thirty-nine years. This medal completes the 2012 quartet alongside Alice Paul, the first Cleveland medal, and Caroline Harrison. Struck in bronze at 1-5/16 inches.

Rarity Notes

Produced at the Philadelphia Mint during 2012 without a fixed production limit. This second-term medal paired with the first-term version gives collectors a unique two-medal set within the broader series.

Cross References

PCGS #512948; companion to First Spouse Gold $10