(2014) First Spouse Bronze Medal - Lou Hoover

Coin Details

Description

The Lou Hoover bronze medal honors a First Lady who was among the most accomplished and well-traveled women of her era. Lou Henry Hoover was the first woman to receive a geology degree from Stanford University, where she met her future husband Herbert Hoover in a geology laboratory. The obverse, designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart, portrays a woman who spoke five languages, traveled the world extensively during her husband's mining career, and survived the Boxer Rebellion siege of Tianjin, China in 1900, where she reportedly carried a pistol and helped tend to wounded soldiers. Lou Hoover and her husband translated the sixteenth-century mining treatise De Re Metallica from Latin, a scholarly work that remains the standard English edition. The reverse, designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, references her dedication to the Girl Scouts of America, for which she served as national president from 1922 to 1925. As First Lady from 1929 to 1933, she invited Jessie De Priest, wife of African American congressman Oscar De Priest, to a White House tea, provoking a backlash from segregationists. Lou Hoover used her personal funds for extensive quiet charity during the Great Depression, keeping her generosity private to avoid embarrassing recipients. Struck in bronze at 1-5/16 inches.

Rarity Notes

Produced at the Philadelphia Mint during 2014 without a stated production cap. Available from dealers at typical pricing for the series.

Cross References

PCGS #531795; companion to First Spouse Gold $10