Numismatic

2009-W 1/2 oz Gold Margaret Taylor MS-70 NGC

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This half-ounce gold coin from 2009 honors Margaret "Peggy" Taylor, the wife of the twelfth American president. Struck from 0.9999 fine gold at the West Point Mint, the ten-dollar coin features a detailed obverse portrait created through the collaborative work of designer Phebe Hemphill and sculptor Charles Vickers. The inscriptions surrounding her likeness include her name, the year 2009, and the traditional mottos of liberty and trust. Born on a tobacco plantation, Margaret Taylor's life journey included a friendship with Martha Washington's granddaughter and a fateful meeting in Lexington, Kentucky, where she met Zachary Taylor. Her husband would eventually secure the presidency in the election of 1848, though his term was cut short by his death just two years into his administration. The reverse of the coin illustrates a powerful moment from her earlier years, showing her caring for a wounded soldier during the Seminole War. This reverse design is accompanied by inscriptions denoting the nation of issue, the denomination, and the weight and purity of the precious metal.