Letitia Tyler First Spouse Gold Coin

For many years, Letitia Christian Tyler had supervised the Tyler family’s 1200-acre plantation, Greenway, in Charles City County, Virginia. But her health was poor during her husband John Tyler’s presidency. Letitia was content to stay in the background and direct from behind the scenes the White House entertaining, the household management, and her children’s care.

She informally received important visitors, including authors Charles Dickens and Washington Irving, and enjoyed discussing current events with them. The only time she appeared in public while First Lady was at the wedding of their daughter, Elizabeth. She died eight months after the wedding.

Reverse Design

Letitia Tyler’s success in running their plantation gave husband John Tyler the freedom to pursue his political career. The reverse of the coin depicts Letitia and her two oldest children behind their Cedar Grove Plantation, where the Tylers were married in 1813.