(2014) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Eleanor Roosevelt

Coin Details

Description

The Eleanor Roosevelt bronze medal honors the woman widely considered the most influential First Lady in American history. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt transformed the role from ceremonial hostess into an independent platform for advocacy, political engagement, and social activism during her unprecedented twelve years in the White House from 1933 to 1945. The obverse, designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, depicts a woman who overcame a painful childhood marked by the loss of both parents by age ten, a difficult marriage complicated by Franklin Roosevelt's infidelity, and the social constraints of her era to become a towering public figure in her own right. The reverse, designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart, references her humanitarian work that extended far beyond the White House. Eleanor Roosevelt held press conferences restricted to female reporters, forcing news organizations to hire women correspondents. She wrote a daily syndicated newspaper column called "My Day," traveled extensively to advocate for civil rights, workers' rights, and women's equality, and famously resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolution after they refused to allow Marian Anderson to perform at Constitution Hall. After FDR's death, she served as a delegate to the United Nations and chaired the committee that drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Struck in bronze at 1-5/16 inches.

Rarity Notes

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during 2014 with open mintage. Eleanor Roosevelt's towering historical reputation and name recognition make this one of the most popular issues in the entire First Spouse Bronze Medal series.

Cross References

PCGS #531790; companion to First Spouse Gold $10