Prominent American Women quarters
From 2022 to 2025, the United States Mint will release a series of quarters featuring prominent women in American history, commemorating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[1] The mint may produce up to five designs each year for up to 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."[2] The obverse will depict George Washington with a new design. The mint has not yet officially named the coin series.
United States | |
Value | 0.25 U.S. Dollar |
---|---|
Mass | 6.25(Ag); 5.67 (Cu-Ni) 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) 90% Ag 10% Cu (2010–2018 silver proof) 99.9% Ag (2019–present silver proof) |
Years of minting | 2022–2025 |
Obverse | |
Design | George Washington |
Reverse | |
Design | various; up to five designs per year |
Designer | various |
The program was authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Pub.L. 116–330 (menu; GPO has not yet published law), sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Anthony Gonzalez.[3] The original proposal was for 56 quarters, honoring one woman from each state and territory,[4] but with a set of circulating coins intended to be released in 2026 for the United States Semiquincentennial, it was amended to be shorter. It replaced an alternative proposal of quarters featuring animals or endangered species.[5] One of the five quarters in that set will also feature a woman.[1] It will be followed in 2027–2030 with a series depicting youth sports.[6]
It succeeds the America the Beautiful quarters. Some coin collectors were critical of the "seemingly unending" proposal to continue to issue five new quarter designs every year for a third decade.[7] Many numismatists are more interested in redesigns of other denominations and less frequent releases.[8]
References
- "Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 signed by president". CoinWorld. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- Lee, Barbara (2021-01-13). "Text - H.R.1923 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "As Part of Women's History Month, Reps. Lee & Gonzalez Lead Bipartisan Effort to Issue Quarters Honoring Prominent American Women | Barbara Lee - Congresswoman for the 13th District of California". lee.house.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- Wattles, Jackie (2018-03-15). "Lawmakers push to put women on quarters". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "Interview with Todd Martin of the United States Mint | Coin Update". news.coinupdate.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- "Gonzalez bill to honor American women on the quarter passes U.S. House of Representatives". U.S. Representative Anthony Gonzalez. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- "Monday Morning Brief for Oct. 5, 2020: Too ambitious?". CoinWorld. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- Golino, Louis (2021-01-28). "The Coin Analyst: Have Circulating Commemorative Programs Outlasted Their Welcome?". CoinWeek. Retrieved 2021-02-03.