2015-W Lady Bird Johnson First Spouse $10 Gold Coin Proof : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

On August 27, 2015, the United States Mint issued the 2015 Lady Bird Johnson First Spouse 1/2 oz $10 Gold Coin. The coin consists of .9999 fine gold, and while it had a maximum authorized mintage of 10,000 pieces across all ordering options, only 2,653 collectible Proof coins were struck – which is still almost twice as many as the regular bullion (Uncirculated) issue. Both Proof and Uncirculated versions were produced at the West Point Mint and carry the “W” mintmark.

The Lady Bird Johnson $10 Gold Coin was the fourth issue from 2015 in the First Spouse Gold Coin series of bullion coins issued in tandem with the base-metal golden Presidential Dollar series. It was also the 38th coin out of an ultimate total of 42.

“Lady Bird” Johnson

“Lady Bird” Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, Texas. Her father had risen from being the son of a sharecropper to owning a plantation and a handful of businesses. She got her nickname “Lady Bird” when she was an infant, though there’s some confusion about what it means. She graduated with a BA from the University of Texas in 1930 and earned another Bachelor’s degree (this one in journalism, her intended career) in 1934.

That same year, she met and married Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ), the future 36th President of the United States.

With the help of Lady Bird and her inheritance money, Lyndon won election to Congress and embarked upon his political career. Meanwhile, she invested the rest of her inheritance in several business properties, especially in the media. Mrs. Johnson proved to have a great deal of business acumen, becoming a millionaire in the process – the first “First Spouse” in American history to do so by her own efforts.

While First Lady from 1963 to 1969, Lady Bird Johnson focused on the beautification of Washington, D.C., and the nation’s highways (as reflected on the coin’s reverse). But she also fought alongside her husband for civil rights for African Americans and was a diplomatic foil to her husband’s sometimes harsh nature.

Lady Bird Johnson died on July 11, 2007.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS PR70 (201, 10/2024), NGC PF70 (234, 10/2024), and CAC PR70 (0:1 stickered:graded, 10/2024).

• PCGS PR70DCAM #32978510: eBay, July 27, 2024, Lot 166881853182 – $1,395. First Strike label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031749: GreatCollections, May 24, 2020, Lot 330460 – View. John Mercanti signature label; GreatCollections, January 28, 2024, Lot 1516800 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031744: GreatCollections, May 21, 2023, Lot 1371683 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• NGC PFUCAM #4237492-004: GreatCollections, August 22, 2021, Lot 1040164 – View. First Spouse series label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031753: GreatCollections, September 27, 2020, Lot 330466 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031745: GreatCollections, July 26, 2020, Lot 330464 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031747: GreatCollections, July 19, 2020, Lot 330462 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031746: GreatCollections, July 12, 2020, Lot 330463 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• PCGS PR70DCAM #33031748: GreatCollections, May 31, 2020, Lot 330461 – View. John Mercanti signature label.
• NGC PF70 #4818777-042: Heritage, December 14, 2018, Lot 8390 – $660. Mike Castle American Flag signature label (#697).
• NGC PF70 #4818777-041: Heritage, December 14, 2018, Lot 8391 – $660. Mike Castle American Flag signature label (#697).
• PCGS PR70 #33093296: Heritage, June 12, 2016, Lot 8770 – $940.

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Design

Obverse:

The obverse of the 2015-W Lady Bird Johnson Gold Coin Proof features a bust of Mrs. Johnson that seems to be based on both the official White House portrait by Elizabeth Shoumatoff and a photograph by Robert Knudsen. Her head is turned slightly to the left to face the viewer directly. Her name LADY BIRD JOHNSON runs clockwise around the top rim of the coin, above her effigy. To the left of Mrs. Johnson is the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST; to her right is the word LIBERTY, the date 2015 and the W mintmark for West Point. Beneath the truncation of Johnson’s neckline is the ordinal number 36th and the dates 1963-1969, both of which represent her time in the White House.

Designer Linda Fox created the portrait; her initials LLF are on Johnson’s left under IN GOD WE TRUST. Mint Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso’s initials MG are found on the right side, under the mintmark.

Reverse:

Both the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument are on the reverse. As mentioned above, the flowers represent the first lady’s efforts to beautify the nation’s capital. The phrase BEAUTIFY OUR CITIES, PARKS AND HIGHWAYS is inscribed in the negative space above and between the monuments. Encircling the top of the reverse clockwise from left is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Wrapping around the bottom are the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, the face value of $10, the weight 1/2 OZ., and the purity .9999 FINE GOLD.

U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Chris Costello is responsible for the reverse; his initials CTC are right above the word UNUM in the inner disc of the design.

Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon engraved the design; her initials RG are to the right of Costello’s, above the numeral “1” in $10.

Edge:

Like all coins in the 10-year First Spouse 1/2 oz Gold Coin bullion series, the edge of the 2015-W Lady Bird Johnson Gold Coin Proof is reeded.

Designers

Medallic Artist Michael Gaudioso has designed dozens of United States coins and medals (View Designer’s Profile).

AIP artist Chris Costello is a prolific designer for both the U.S. and the Royal Mint. He also created the Papyrus typeface in 1982.

A graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Medallic Artist Renata Gordon created several designs for the First Spouse and America the Beautiful Quarters programs (View Designer’s Profile).

2015-W Lady Bird Johnson Gold Proof Coin Specifications

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