2012 USA Alice Paul & Chester Arthur First Spouse $1 Presidential Coin & Medal Set

2012 USA Alice Paul & Chester Arthur First Spouse $1 Presidential Coin & Medal Set

Starting in 2005, the United States Mint honoured the First Spouses -- that is, the wife (or, theoretically, husband) of a sitting president -- with a series of half-ounce gold coins. These designs were also used to produce bronze medals, which were sabridgedold paired with their respective president's $1 coin. Of course, the continuity of such a set becomes threatened as soon as a president is not married.

To ensure a complete set, presidents without a spouse are paired with a notable woman of their (approximate) time. This set pairs widower president Chester Arthur with prominent suffragist leader Alice Paul, who played a prominent role in the passing of the 19th Amendment, which guarantees that a person's right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of their sex. The reverse depicts Paul carrying an American flag and wearing a sash that reads "Votes For Women."