Maya Angelou, Sally Ride Among Women To Be Featured on US Coins

Quarter coins will have a new look starting in 2022, thanks to the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters Program.

The coins will feature female trailblazers from a range of eras of American history, including poet and writer Maya Angelou, actress Anna May Wong, politician Nina Otero-Warren, astronaut and physicist Sally Ride, and the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller. 

U.S. Mint announced the designs on Oct. 6, 2021. 

? We are pleased to announce the designs for the 2022 coins in the American Women Quarters™ Program, honoring the achievements of Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren and Anna May Wong: https://t.co/D54knKPbvQ #HerQuarter @smithsonian @womenshistory pic.twitter.com/3p7XGM9Ok4

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

The American Women Quarters Program is a four-year program, and until 2025, the program will introduce women on the tails of each coin. The initiative was authorized by Congress earlier this year. 

Each coin will have a unique design. Angelou’s quarter depicts her with her arms uplifted against the wings of a bird in flight and rays of light. The description, according to U.S Mint, states, “The reverse (tails) depicts Maya Angelou with her arms uplifted. Behind her are a bird in flight and a rising sun, images inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived.”

All the coin designs and descriptions can be seen here, and below:

Maya Angelou was an inspiring writer/performer/social activist. The reverse design of #HerQuarter depicts Angelou with her arms uplifted. Behind her are a bird in flight and a rising sun, images inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived. https://t.co/Enr1I5EbXr pic.twitter.com/XFZHlmAVGh

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

Dr. Sally Ride was a physicist & astronaut. The reverse design of #HerQuarter depicts Ride next to a space shuttle window. “E PLURIBUS UNUM” is positioned over Earth next to America indicating that Dr. Ride was the 1st American female into space. https://t.co/WGvTli5fAg #WSW2021 pic.twitter.com/kRdA6fbLmp

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

Wilma Mankiller was the 1st ♀️ elected Chief of the @CherokeeNation. The reverse design of #HerQuarter depicts Mankiller with a resolute gaze to the future. The wind is at her back; she is wrapped in a traditional shawl. To her left is the 7-pointed star. https://t.co/pdD0uxE3dq pic.twitter.com/WzfaheGON0

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

Nina Otero-Warren was a leader in NM's suffrage mvmt/1st ♀️ superintendent of Santa Fe public schools. The reverse design of #HerQuarter features an image of her on the left flanked by 3 individual Yucca flowers—the NM state flower. https://t.co/MHcR3pPu4C #HispanicHeritageMonth pic.twitter.com/32OjVnaLPD

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood. The reverse design of #HerQuarter features a close-up image of Wong with her head resting on her hand, surrounded by the bright lights of a marquee sign. https://t.co/hZk5aZiyVA @smithsonian @womenshistory pic.twitter.com/IgWAPZEXmR

— United States Mint (@usmint) October 6, 2021

None of the women chosen to be featured on the coins are still alive, because, according to the U.S. Mint: “The Public Law requires that no living person be featured in the coin designs.”