The Alice Paul First Spouse Gold Coin will be the first strike in 2012 released by the US Mint as part of the First Spouse Gold Coin series. The obverse of the strike will contain a portrait of Alice Paul (famous American suffragist) while the reverse will contain a design emblematic of the suffrage movement.
Congress dictated the likeness of Alice Paul on the obverse and the suffrage movement reverse when it passed the authorizing legislation of the series included as part of the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-145). Typically, if a former President served without a spouse, the mythical figure of Liberty was to be used on the obverse with a theme relating to the President on the reverse. However, when it came to the First Spouse Coin associated with the Chester A. Arthur Presidency, Congress chose to honor the suffrage movement and Paul instead.
One of the reasons for the choice of honoring Paul and other suffragists on the Arthur associated coin was because he served in office from 1881-1885 without a spouse (his wife had passed away a year before he assumed the Presidency). His last year in office was also the same year in which Paul was born (1885).
Two coins will be released by the US Mint honoring Alice Paul and suffragists - the Alice Paul First Spouse Gold Proof Coin and the Alice Paul First Spouse Gold Uncirculated Coin. These two coins will feature identical obverse and reverse imagery but will be struck with different finishes.
An image of Alice Paul will be showcased on the obverse of the coin. It was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. Obverse inscriptions include "ALICE PAUL," "IN GOD WE TRUST," "LIBERTY," "2012," "21ST" and "1881-1885."
Shown on the reverse of the coin is a design emblematic of the suffrage movement which depicts a participant of a Suffrage parade. The design is surrounded by the inscriptions of "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "E PLURIBUS UNUM", "$10", "1/2 OZ.", and ".9999 PURE GOLD. The reverse was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.