American Women quarters

For the quarters issued from 1999 to 2008, see 50 State quarters. For the quarters issued in 2009, see District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters. For the quarters issued from 2010 to 2021, see America the Beautiful quarters.

American Women quarter

United States
Value	25 cents (0.25 US dollars)
Mass	5.67 g (standard) 6.34 g (silver proof) g
Diameter	24.26 mm (0.955 in)
Thickness	1.75 mm (0.069 in)
Edge	119 reeds
Composition	91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni (standard) 99.9% Ag (silver proof)
Years of minting	2022–2025
Obverse
Design	George Washington
Designer	Laura Gardin Fraser
Design date	1931
Reverse
Design	Various; up to five designs per year (inaugural design shown)
Designer	Various

The American Women quarters program is a series of quarters featuring notable women in U.S. history, commemorating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The United States Mint is issuing five designs each year from 2022 to 2025 for 20 total designs. One woman will be honored on the reverse of each coin, selected for "contributions to the United States in a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and arts." The obverse depicts George Washington with a new design. Most of the women featured have been from ethnic minority groups.

The program was authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Anthony Gonzalez. The original proposal was for 56 quarters, honoring one woman from each state and territory, but with a set of circulating coins intended to be released in 2026 for the United States Semiquincentennial, it was amended to be shorter. One of the five quarters in that set will also feature a woman. It replaced an alternative proposal of quarters featuring animals or endangered species. It will be followed in 2027–2030 with a series depicting youth sports.

In addition to circulating coins, the series is also minted as a silver proof set.

It succeeds the America the Beautiful quarters and Washington Crossing the Delaware quarter. Some coin collectors were critical of the "seemingly unending" proposal to continue to issue five new quarter designs every year for a third decade. Many numismatists are more interested in redesigns of other denominations and less frequent releases.

Designs

Obverse

Laura Gardin Fraser's portrait of George Washington, which was originally submitted in 1931, was selected by the Commission of Fine Arts and Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee to appear on the obverse of the American Women quarters. The right-facing bust had been used for the 1999 George Washington half eagle for the 200th anniversary of Washington's death.

Reverse

The United States Secretary of the Treasury selects the women featured for the series in consultation with the Smithsonian Institution's American Women's History Initiative, the National Women's History Museum, and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. Recommendations for women honorees were solicited from the public in 2021.

2022

Honorees featured in 2022 are:

• Maya Angelou, the first Black woman featured on U.S. currency. Designed by Emily Damstra, who said her depiction of Angelou "convey[s] the passionate way she lived". She indicated that the bird in flight that silhouetted Angelou's arms was modeled on a Purple martin, which is native to Angelou's home state of Arkansas, and symbolized her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Oprah Winfrey called the design "a true treasure" and "an incredible moment" to commemorate her friend and poet's life. Because a bust portrait was not permitted, Damstra chose to limit the details in the quarter, balancing negative space.
• Sally Ride, the first LGBT person on U.S. currency. Her partner Tam O'Shaughnessy said Ride's design by the Space Shuttle's window reflected her quote, "But when I wasn't working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth." It shows her wearing a patch with an element Ride designed for the STS-7 mission that represented her being the first American woman in space. The design was unveiled at the 2021 Space Symposium.
• Wilma Mankiller; design released at an event at the Cherokee National Capitol. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, "Chief Mankiller was the voice that first elevated Native American tribes and tribal issues in this country and served as the first female Chief in a role dominated by men during a time that the Cherokee Nation was first getting its footing after decades of suppression by the U.S. Government[...] She fought for civil rights and equality, and self-sufficiency for the Cherokee people, and was the anchor establishing what has now become the largest tribal health care system in the country. We are so proud she is forever honored on this coin by the U.S. Mint."
• Adelina Otero-Warren, the first Hispanic American on U.S. currency.
• Anna May Wong, the first Asian American on U.S. currency.

2023

Honorees featured in 2023 are:

• Bessie Coleman; design released at an event at the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Deputy Administrator Brad Mims said the coin "[is] a valuable symbol of an important chapter in U.S. aviation history."
• Jovita Idar; design released at an event at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
• Edith Kanakaʻole, the first native Hawaiian on U.S. currency. The design was released at an event at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo, where Kanakaʻole previously taught. Designer Emily Damstra said, "It was a joy to become aware of Edith Kanakaʻole’s legacy as I developed a design for her quarter[...] I came to understand that her deep connection to the land—her home in Hawaiʻi near the Maunakea volcano—played a large role in her life and work. To best honor the various ways she made an impact, I felt that the design should emphasize her relationship to that environment."
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Maria Tallchief, who also appears on the 2023 Sacagawea dollar. Designer Ben Sowards said, "Although her artistry, precision, and technical skill made her one of the most renowned ballerinas of her time, it is Maria Tallchief’s courage, perseverance, and strength of character that I hope are evident in the design[...] Her legacy continues to inspire us to pursue our dreams."

2024

Honorees featured in 2024 are:

• Pauli Murray; Murray's niece Rosita Stevens-Holsey said, "When I see my aunt's face looking out through the letters of the word 'hope', it brings to mind that she never lost hope in a society and world that needed to change to embrace the rights of all humans. Her selection as one of the honorees is validation and a testament to more than 50 years of achievements in social justice, women's rights, civil rights, and human rights."
• Patsy Takemoto Mink; the design honors Mink's work on the Title IX Amendment of the Higher Education Act, renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in 2002.
• Mary Edwards Walker; Oswego Town Historian George DeMass, who advised the U.S. Mint on the design, said of the process, "The committees were so concerned about accuracy, which I’m very glad[...] They would ask questions like, ‘Do you happen to know what hairstyle she was wearing during the war?’ Which, you know, was 150 years ago, but fortunately we had pictures."
• Celia Cruz, the first Afro-Latina on U.S. currency. Cruz's former manager Omer Pardillo said, "It's a significant honor to become the first Afro-Latina, who, despite her humble beginnings, managed to captivate the world with her exceptional talent and charisma[...] All Latinos should be very proud of this enormous accomplishment as Celia not only represents Cubans, but Latinos all over the world[...] She belonged to the world."
• Zitkala-Ša

2025

Honorees to be featured in 2025 are:

• Ida B. Wells
• Juliette Gordon Low
• Vera Rubin
• Stacey Milbern
• Althea Gibson

List of designs

Year	No.	Woman	Design	Elements depicted	Artist(s)		Release date	Mintage
					Sculptor (Medallic Artist)	Designer (Artistic Infusion Program)		Denver	Philadelphia	San Francisco	Total
2022	1	Maya Angelou		Angelou with her arms outstretched, in front of a flying bird and sunrise.	Craig Campbell	Emily Damstra	January 3, 2022	258,200,000	237,600,000	303,480	496,103,480
	2	Sally Ride		Ride next to a Space Shuttle window, with Earth in the background.	Phebe Hemphill	Elana Hagler	March 22, 2022	278,000,000	275,200,000	304,000	553,504,000
	3	Wilma Mankiller		Mankiller wearing a shawl, by a seven-pointed Cherokee Nation star and ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ("Cherokee Nation" in Cherokee syllabary).		Benjamin Sowards	June 6, 2022	296,800,000	310,000,000	304,680	607,104,680
	4	Nina Otero-Warren		Otero-Warren with three Yucca flowers and the Spanish inscription Voto para la mujer (Vote for Women).	Craig Campbell	Chris Costello	August 15, 2022	219,200,000	225,000,000	305,560	444,505,560
	5	Anna May Wong		Wong surrounded by marquee lights.	John P. McGraw	Emily Damstra	October 25, 2022	240,800,000	226,800,000	303,080	467,903,080
2023	6	Bessie Coleman		Coleman in leather flying helmet looking into the clouds toward a flying biplane. The inscription "6.15.1921" is the date she received her international pilot's license.	Eric David Custer	Chris Costello	January 3, 2023	317,200,000	302,000,000	TBD	619,200,000
	7	Edith Kanakaʻole		Kanakaʻole, with her hair and lei poʻo (head lei) blending into a Hawaiian landscape. The inscription "E hō mai ka ʻike" translates to "granting the wisdom" and refers to the role of hula and chants in cultural preservation. This design features the denomination shown as "25¢" instead of "Quarter Dollar" used on all other previous designs.	Renata Gordon	Emily Damstra	March 27, 2023	368,600,000	372,800,000	TBD	741,400,000
	8	Eleanor Roosevelt		Roosevelt stands by the scales of justice in front of a representation of the globe, above the inscription "Universal Declaration of Human Rights".	Craig Campbell	Don Everhart	June 5, 2023	271,800,000	284,000,000	TBD	555,800,000
	9	Jovita Idar		Idar standing with her hands clasped. Her body is made up of inscriptions representing her accomplishments and the newspapers for which she wrote.	John P. McGraw		August 14, 2023	184,800,000	190,600,000	TBD	378,600,000
	10	Maria Tallchief		Maria Tallchief spotlit in balletic pose. Her Osage name, 𐓏𐓘𐓸𐓮𐓟-𐓍𐓪͘𐓬𐓘, which translates to "Two Standards", is written in the Osage script.	Joseph Menna	Benjamin Sowards	October 23, 2023	184,800,000	185,800,000	TBD	370,600,000
2024	11	Pauli Murray		Portrait of Rev. Dr. Murray inside the word "HOPE," with the quotation "A song in a weary throat," from her poem "Dark Testament."	Joseph Menna	Emily Damstra	February 1, 2024	185,500,000	168,400,000	400,000	354,200,000
	12	Patsy Mink		Mink standing outside the Capitol holding a copy of Title IX and wearing a lei, with legend "Equal Opportunity in Education"	John P. McGraw	Beth Zaiken	March 25, 2024	187,200,000	210,200,000	TBD	397,400,000
	13	Mary Edwards Walker		Dr. Walker wearing her Medal of Honor.	Phebe Hemphill		June 3, 2024	159,400,000	141,200,000	TBD	300,600,000
	14	Celia Cruz		Cruz performing with a microphone, with her catchphrase “¡AZÚCAR!” ("Sugar!)	Phebe Hemphill		August 12, 2024	156,200,000	149,600,000	TBD	305,800,000
	15	Zitkala-Ša		Zitkala-Ša in traditional Yankton Sioux dress and holding a book. A stylized sun represents her Sun Dance Opera, while a red cardinal symbolizes her name, which means “Red Bird.” A Yankton Sioux-inspired diamond pattern sits underneath the sun.	Renata Gordon	Don Everhart	October 21, 2024	2,400,000	2,600,000	TBD	5,000,000
2025	16	Ida B. Wells	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
	17	Juliette Gordon Low	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
	18	Vera Rubin	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
	19	Stacey Milbern	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
	20	Althea Gibson	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD

See also

• United States cent mintage figures
  • Lincoln cent mintage figures
• United States nickel mintage figures
• United States quarter mintage figures
  • Washington quarter mintage figures
  • 50 State quarter mintage figures
  • America the Beautiful quarter mintage figures
  • American Women quarters
• United States half dollar mintage figures
  • Kennedy half dollar mintage figures
• American Silver Eagle mintage figures

External links

• United States Mint
• National Women's History Museum
• Smithsonian American Women's History Museum
• Pub. L. 116–330 (text) (PDF)