Eliza McCardle Johnson was born on October 4, 1810, in Greeneville, Tenn. She was almost 16 and Andrew Johnson only 17 when they met. She married him within a year, on May 17, 1827. They converted the small front room of their rented house into a tailor shop where they worked side-by-side. Mrs. Johnson had a profound influence on the informal education of the future President, including encouraging him to join in local debates in order to enhance his oratorical skills.

In late 1868, it was her love of children that led Mrs. Johnson to make a rare public appearance as first lady. During their final days in the White House, the Johnsons celebrated the President's 60^th birthday with a ball to which only children were invited.

For President Johnson's 60th birthday ball, more than 300 invitations were sent to the sons and daughters of Washington officials, diplomats and White House staff. A red carpet was stretched over the path leading to the entrance, and the rooms were filled with flowers. The only parents there were the Johnsons and their own grown children, the official hosts. The first lady greeted every guest while seated to the side in an armchair.

The reverse (tails) design captures her love of children. It depicts three children dancing and a Marine Band fiddler playing at the children's ball. The guests were entertained by the music of Marine Band fiddlers and young students from a local dance academy.

Julia Dent Grant was born on January 26, 1826, near St. Louis. She met future Union General and President Ulysses Grant at her affluent family's plantation, White Haven, where he was welcomed as a former West Point classmate of her brother Frederick. Julia and Lieutenant Grant became engaged in 1844 and married four years later.

During the Civil War, she moved her home often to be as close to her husband as possible while he commanded the Union forces. Julia sometimes brought her children with her if she thought it was safe enough. General Grant won decisive victories at Shiloh in April 1862, at Vicksburg in July 1863, and at Chattanooga in November 1863. Julia was at his side as he rose to be one of the most famous generals in American history and, ultimately, the 18th President.

The reverse (tails) design captures the courtship of a young Julia Dent and Ulysses S. Grant, horseback riding at her family's plantation, White Haven.

Lucy Ware Webb Hayes was born on August 28, 1831, in Chillicothe, Ohio, and attended Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati, where she met Rutherford B. "Rud" Hayes. They married in 1852 and lived in Cincinnati until the Civil War. The future President grew to share her deep opposition to slavery.

President Hayes and the first lady celebrated their silver wedding anniversary at the White House in 1877. The East Room was decorated in white flowers, with a great floral wedding ball beneath which the couple repeated their marriage vows. They exchanged portrait cameos as anniversary gifts to one another before a large crowd, many of whom had attended their original nuptials in Cincinnati.

Mrs. Hayes was a temperance advocate, and alcohol was banned at the White House during her husband's administration. However, her famous nickname "Lemonade Lucy" was apparently only used after she left the White House.

Lucretia Rudolph Garfield was born on April 19, 1832, in Garrettsville, Ohio. She first met future President "Jim" Garfield when both attended a nearby school, and they renewed their friendship in 1851 as students at the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. The couple married in 1858.

During the 1880 presidential campaign, James Garfield campaigned from the front porch of Lawnfield, the couple's summer home in Ohio. Voters came from throughout the country to hear him speak, and Mrs. Garfield was the consummate hostess. In one corner of the property, there was a campaign office equipped with telegraph facilities to receive election returns. She was among the first presidential candidate's wives to appear on a campaign poster.

The Garfield family arrived at the White House in March 1881. Just two months later, the new first lady became seriously ill with malaria and went to a New Jersey coastal resort to recover. She was there when President Garfield was shot and mortally wounded on July 2.

Mrs. Garfield's dignity and strength over the next three months gained her wide admiration and sympathy. After the President's death in September 1881, the family returned to its Ohio farm. She lived for another 36 years and helped preserve her husband's records.

In 1869, Lucretia and James built a large home in Washington while he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Crete" set aside one room in the house for herself, where she was able to paint and draw in private. The reverse (tails) design represents Lucretia Garfield's interest in art and features her painting on a canvas with brush and palette in hand.