Martha Washington Coins excite us. When the new U.S. quarters came out, we bought cardboard maps to display them. We paid cash for everything in hopes of pawing the shiny silver coins. And when Sacagawea clinked in on the scene, we admired her golden contours. This year, the U.S. Mint will pull another new coin from behind our ears. The first ladies will grace real gold $10 coins. Cha-ching! (Their presidential husbands get their own coins, too, but they're only worth a buck.) This should renew the coin collecting pastime and rattle up some interest in U.S. presidential history -- not to mention celebrating the babes of the White House. Yet, in looking at numismatics (the history of coins), we have to wonder if this is propaganda. Back in Julius Caesar's heyday, moneyers created coins celebrating their personal accomplishments or memorializing famed relatives. Greek tyrants also advertised themselves through their coinage. Whatever the story, we're glad that the program showed some foresight in its title: "First Spouse Program." We firmly believe that one day a man will be worth 10 buckaroos. Suggested Sites... U.S. Mint: First Spouse 24-Karat Coin Program - check out the release schedule through 2015. National First Ladies' Library - find biographies, timelines, and audio/visual presentations for the First Ladies. Bearers of Meaning: Collection of Ancient and Byzantine Coins - pictorial history and interpretation of super-old coins. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra Was No Stunner, Coin Shows - article about the ancient coin from 32 B.C., which went on display in England on Valentine's Day.

Directory categories: First Ladies, U.S. Presidency, U.S. Currency, Coin Collecting

Archived under: Collectibles, First Ladies, Hobbies, Money, Presidents

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