Starting in 2022, the American Women Quarters program will release quarters, bullion coins, and proofs with reverse designs honoring notable American women. The honorees were nominated by the public in 2021 through a survey created by the National Women’s History Museum. Nominees include women’s rights activists, the first women in STEM, Nobel Peace Prize winners, and more. Five quarters were issued each year through 2025. Like the America the Beautiful Quarter series, these commemorative coins are ideal for collecting. The obverse of the quarters features the classic 1999 bust of George Washington, while the reverse features a unique design for each honoree.
The Women Who Inspired the Series
#1: Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was the first honoree to be featured in the series. Sculpted by Craig Campbell and designed by Emily Damstra, this coin marks the first time a Black woman has been featured on a U.S. quarter.
Maya Angelou was a writer, poet, and civil rights activist who earned global acclaim with her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She received over 30 honorary degrees, published over 30 bestselling works, and delivered the celebrated poem On the Pulse of the Morning at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 and the Literarian Award in 2013, among many other accolades.
#2: Dr. Sally Ride
The second quarter in the series honors astronaut Dr. Sally Ride. A quote from her space mission inspired the design: “When I wasn’t working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth.” Elana Hagler designed the quarter, and Phebe Hemphill sculpted it.
Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and the first queer astronaut, was a physicist who served on both investigation boards for NASA’s space shuttle accidents. She later became NASA’s special assistant for strategic planning and a professor at the University of California, San Diego, where she directed the Space Institute. In 2001, she founded Sally Ride Science to inspire young women in STEM. Honored with numerous awards, including the Jefferson Award for Public Service and induction into both the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Ride’s legacy continues to empower future generations.
#3: Wilma Mankiller
The 3rd coin in the series honors Wilma Mankiller. The quarter was designed by Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, who also sculpted the Sally Ride coin.
Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected chief of the Cherokee Nation and the first female chief of a major Native tribe, advanced her tribe’s welfare through healthcare, education, housing, and community development, including founding the Cherokee Nation’s Community Development Department. Her efforts inspired the film The Cherokee Word for Water. Mankiller’s achievements earned her numerous honors, including Ms. Magazine’s Woman of the Year (1987), induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame (1993), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1998).
#4: Nina Otero-Warren
The fourth coin in the series honors Nina Otero-Warren. Chris Costello designed this coin, and Craig A. Campbell sculpted it.
Adelina ‘Nina’ Otero-Warren advocated for women’s rights and education in New Mexico. The first Hispanic woman to run for U.S. Congress and Santa Fe’s first female superintendent of public schools, she championed bilingual education and the preservation of Hispano culture. A leader in the New Mexico women’s suffrage movement, she ensured suffrage materials were published in Spanish and English, contributing to the state’s ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Otero-Warren later led the National Woman’s Party and held prominent roles in literacy and public works programs, including directing the WPA in Puerto Rico. In her later years, she authored Old Spain in Our Southwest and co-founded Las Dos Realty and Insurance Company.
#5: Anna May Wong
The fifth quarter in the American Women Quarter Program honors Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American Hollywood star. Emily Damstra designed the quarter, and John P. McGraw was the sculptor.
Anna May Wong (born Wong Liu Tsong) was Hollywood’s first Chinese American film star, appearing in over 60 films, stage productions, and television shows. She began her career at age 14 as an extra in The Red Lantern and later starred in one of the first Technicolor films. Despite facing discrimination and being typecast, she achieved international acclaim, particularly for her role in Shanghai Express (1932). Wong also became the first Asian American to lead a U.S. television show, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong.
#6: Bessie Coleman
In 2023, the 6th in the series and first coin in the second installment honors Bessie Coleman, the first African American and Native American woman pilot. This coin was designed by Chris Costello and sculpted by Eric David Custer.
Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman to earn an international pilot’s license, achieving this milestone in 1921 after training in France due to discrimination in the United States. Known as “Queen Bess, Daredevil Aviatrix,” she toured the U.S. and Europe to promote aviation among African Americans and to endorse civil rights. Refusing to participate in projects that demeaned her community, Coleman became a symbol of pride and perseverance. Despite a setback after a crash, she resumed her daring performances, using her platform to inspire others until her sudden death in a 1926 accident.
#7: Edith Kanaka‘ole
Edith Kanaka’ole is honored on the 7th coin in the series. It was designed by Emily Damstra, who designed two previous quarters in the series, and sculpted by Renata Gordon.
Edith Kanaka‘ole, a composer, dancer, and Kumu Hula, dedicated her life to preserving Hawaiian culture during a time of cultural suppression. She composed traditional Hawaiian chants and songs, choreographed accompanying Hula dances, and toured internationally to share her artistry. In honor of her late mother, she founded a Hula school to teach the sacred art. As a professor at the University of Hawai‘i and a cultural advocate, she taught Hawaiian chants, myths, history, and ethnobotany. She created a Hawaiian language program that led to the establishment of over 20 immersion schools. Her efforts earned her numerous accolades, including the Distinction of Cultural Leadership in 1979. Her devotion to her heritage continued to inspire even after her death, with her second album posthumously winning Best Traditional Album at the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards.
#8: Eleanor Roosevelt
The 8th coin in the series honors Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the nation’s most influential First Ladies, and was designed by Don Everhart and sculpted by Craig Campbell.
Eleanor Roosevelt, known as “First Lady of the World,” advocated for human rights, women’s suffrage, and social justice. Before becoming First Lady, she led organizations like the League of Women Voters and endorsed women in politics. During her tenure, she used her platform to advocate for marginalized groups, expand the New Deal, and promote labor and civil rights. In 1939, she took a stand against racism by publicly resigning from the Daughters of the American Revolution. This occurred after they refused to allow Marian Anderson, a renowned African American contralto, to perform at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., due to their discriminatory policies.
After Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, she chaired the United Nations Human Rights Commission, drafted the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and led the President’s Commission on the Status of Women under John F. Kennedy. A legendary leader for equality, she worked on the Equal Pay Act and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong dedication to justice.
#9: Jovita Idar
9th in the American Women Quarters honors Jovita Idar, a Mexican-American journalist, activist, and suffragist. The coin was designed and sculpted by John P. McGraw.
Jovita Idar was a journalist and activist for Mexican American rights. Writing for her family’s newspaper, La Crónica, she advocated for issues like racism, women’s suffrage, and the Mexican Revolution. She co-organized the First Mexican Congress and founded La Liga Feminil Mexicaista in 1911, advocating for women’s suffrage and education for Mexican American students. During the Mexican Revolution, she served as a nurse with La Cruz Blanca and later protested U.S. military intervention through her work at El Progreso, which the Texas Rangers shut down. Taking over La Crónica in 1914, Idar continued her advocacy before becoming editor of El Heraldo Cristiano, where she promoted women’s rights, volunteered in her community, and established a free kindergarten in San Antonio.
#10: Maria Tallchief
Released on October 23, 2023, the 10th quarter and final in the second installment of the American Women Quarters honors Maria Tallchief. It was designed by Benjamin Sowards, who previously designed the Wilma Mankiller quarter, and sculpted by Joseph Menna.
Maria Tallchief, the first Native American prima ballerina, rose to international acclaim through her performances. She began her career with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, became the first American to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947, and later starred as prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet. In 1960, she made history as the first American to perform at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. Despite pressures to change her last name to avoid discrimination, Tallchief proudly embraced her heritage and became a vocal supporter of Native American rights. After retiring, she founded the Chicago City Ballet, continuing her legacy in dance.
#11: Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray
The first quarter in the third installment of the American Women Quarters honors Reverend Doctor Pauli Murray. Emily Damstra was the designer, and Joseph Menna was the sculptor.
Pauli Murray, the first Black queer person featured on U.S. currency, was a poet, activist, legal theorist, and Episcopal priest. Overcoming racial and gender barriers, Murray earned a J.D. from Howard Law School and became the first African American to receive a JSD from Yale Law School in 1965. A co-founder of the National Organization for Women, they also contributed to landmark civil rights cases, including Brown v. Board of Education, through their groundbreaking book The States’ Laws on Race and Color. In 1977, Murray made history as the first African American woman ordained as an Episcopal priest.
#12: Patsy Takemoto Mink
The 12th coin in the series honors Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color and the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress. It was designed by Beth Zaiken and sculpted by John P. McGraw.
Patsy Mink was an innovator for gender and racial equality. After graduating from the University of Chicago Law School and overcoming barriers due to her interracial marriage, she opened her own practice and co-founded the Oahu Young Democrats. In 1964, she became the first Asian-American woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she promoted bilingual education and affordable childcare and co-authored Title IX. She also passed the Women’s Educational Equity Act in 1974 and became the first Asian-American to run for president when nominated by the Oregon Democrats. Reelected to Congress in 1990, she served six terms and founded the Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus. After she died in 2002, Title IX was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in her honor.
#13: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker
The 13th coin in the American Women Quarters Program honors Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. This quarter was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. Dr. Walker is known for her service as a nurse, doctor, and surgeon during the Civil War.
Dr. Mary Walker, the first female Army surgeon, broke barriers in medicine and women’s rights. After graduating as the second woman ever from Syracuse Medical College, she volunteered with the Union Army in 1861, initially serving as a nurse due to gender bias. By 1863, she had become a surgeon, treating soldiers on the front lines and civilians across the battle lines. Captured by Confederates in 1864, she endured four months as a prisoner of war before resuming her service. She received the Medal of Honor for Meritorious Service for her dedication, making her the only woman to be awarded this distinction. A staunch advocate for women’s rights, she refused traditional women’s attire, fought for suffrage, and published Hit: Essays on Women’s Rights in 1871, solidifying her legacy as one of the country’s most celebrated activists.
#14: Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz is the honoree of the 14th coin in the American Women Quarters Program. This quarter was designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, revolutionized Latin music with her powerful voice and vibrant performances. Starting as a young talent on Cuban radio, she became the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera in 1950, gaining international fame as the band toured Latin America and recorded in New York. A trailblazer among the few women in salsa, Cruz recorded over 70 albums, won numerous awards, and became a global icon. Her honors include a Grammy for her 2002 salsa album, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, a Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award, and a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal in 2005.
#15: Zitkála-Šá
The 15th coin in the series honors Zitkála-Šá, a Native American musician, writer, and women’s suffrage activist. Artist Infusion Program Designer Don Everhart designed the image, and Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon sculpted the design.
Zitkála-Šá, a trailblazing Native American writer, musician, and activist, preserved and championed Indigenous culture and rights. A classically trained violinist, she performed at the 1900 Paris Exposition and co-wrote the opera Sundance in 1913. Her literary contributions include Old Indian Legends, translating Sioux myths into English, and influential works like American Indian Stories, shedding light on Native experiences. A suffragist and reformer, she fought for Native voting rights, helping secure the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. In 1926, she co-founded the National Council of American Indians, advocating for Native rights and equality until her death in 1938.
#16: Ida B. Wells
This release honors Ida B. Wells, a journalist, women’s suffragist, anti-lynching activist, and civil rights activist. The quarter was designed by Elana Hagler and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
After her friend Thomas Moss was lynched in 1892, Ida’s writing career was permanently altered. Moss and his partners, Calvin McDowell and Henry Steward—co-owners of People’s Grocery in Memphis—were killed after challenging a nearby white store. Wells-Barnett investigated and published her findings in Free Speech, revealing contradictions in the official story and the city’s racial bias. A white mob then burned the newspaper’s office. She later produced A Red Record, which cataloged the history and statistics of lynching Black Americans in the late nineteenth century.
Committed to women’s rights, Wells-Barnett spoke up for women, especially Black women, and the wider Black community. Wells-Barnett also helped start several Black women’s suffrage groups, including the League of Colored Women, the National Association of Colored Women, and the Alpha Suffrage Club. These organizations raised working-class women’s concerns about race, gender, and class.
#17: Juliette Gordon Low
The 17th release in the series honors Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. This quarter was designed by Tom Hipschen and sculpted by Eric David Custer.
After meeting Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, in London in 1911, Daisy decided to launch the Girl Scouts when she returned home the next year. Motivated by England’s scouting movement, she formed the first U.S. troop in Savannah, Georgia. That initial group of 18 girls crossed class, cultural, and ethnic lines, giving every member a place to build leadership skills, speak up for themselves and others, and pursue their goals. Almost a century after her death, her name lives on in camps, schools, and scholarships honoring her.
#18: Dr. Vera Rubin
The 18th release in this series features Dr. Vera Rubin, known as the mother of dark matter. This quarter was designed by Christina Hess and sculpted by John P. McGraw.
During her career, she wrote more than 100 scientific papers. In 1981, the National Academy of Sciences elected her for her contributions to astronomy. President Bill Clinton presented her with the National Medal of Science in 1993, and in 1994, she received the Dickson Prize in Science from Carnegie Mellon University and the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship from the American Astronomical Society.
In 1996, she became only the second woman to earn the Royal Astronomical Society’s Gold Medal, and that same year, President Clinton nominated her to the National Science Board. The National Academy of Sciences later honored her with the James Craig Watson Medal in 2004 for her dark-matter research and mentorship of young astronomers.
#19: Stacey Park Milbern
The 19th release in the series honors Stacey Park Milbern, who was a queer Korean American activist. She was most well-known for co-founding the modern Disability Justice movement. This quarter was designed by Elana Hagler and sculpted by Craig A. Campbell. Milbern is the first woman in a wheelchair featured on U.S. currency and the first person whose wheelchair is actually shown.
Milbern was born with congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) in 1987. In 2011, Milbern started the Disability Justice Culture Club (DJCC) in California. This group is dedicated to building an inclusive disability-justice movement. She even remodeled her home so members could meet there. When COVID-19 emerged in 2020, she saw that disabled and unhoused people faced greater risks. Working with DJCC volunteers, she packed and delivered kits of gloves, sanitizer, vitamins, and masks to nearby encampments.
President Barack Obama appointed her to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities in 2014. Later, she joined Power to Live, a collective of disabled, fat, older, and queer activists. After Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to thousands of households in 2019 to reduce wildfire danger, the group brought supplies and made sure residents stayed safe. By then, Milbern was recognized nationwide as a leading voice for disability justice.
Milbern passed away from surgical complications on May 19th, 2020. She was the youngest honoree in the American Women Quarter Series and the first person depicted in a wheelchair in U.S. currency.
#20: Althea Gibson
The last quarter released in the American Women Quarter Series features Althea Gibson, best known as the first African American to be ranked the No.1 female tennis player in the world. This quarter was designed by Don Everhart and sculpted by Renata Gordon.
In 1956, Althea Gibson became the first Black player to win the French Championships. The following year, she added titles at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, becoming the first Black American to claim either event; she defended both crowns in 1958. Although she excelled in American Tennis Association events, segregation limited her access to other tournaments. Starting in 1950, allies—including Alice Marble and Sarah Palfrey—advocated for her entry into top competitions.
Gibson later broke new ground in golf. After retiring from tennis, she qualified for the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, its first Black member, and played 171 events between 1963 and 1977.
