WASHINGTON, June 9, 2021
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The United States Mint (Mint) is pleased
to announce the addition of the following women to be honored
during the first year of the American Women Quarters™
Program:
- Wilma Mankiller – the first
female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and an activist for
Native American and women's rights;
- Adelina Otero-Warren – a leader
in New Mexico's suffrage movement
and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools; and
- Anna May Wong – the first
Chinese American film star in Hollywood, achieving international success
despite racism and discrimination.
Designs reflecting the achievements of Mankiller, Otero-Warren,
and Wong, along with those of celebrated author Maya Angelou and trailblazing astronaut Dr.
Sally Ride, will be featured on
circulating and numismatic American Women Quarters Program coins
beginning in 2022.
"Courageous women have made countless contributions throughout
our great Nation's history," said Mint Director David J. Ryder. "The American Women Quarters
Program is a unique opportunity to honor a broad and diverse group
of women whose achievements, triumphs, and legacies reflect the
strength and resilience of our Nation. We look forward to sharing
their stories."
Authorized by Public Law 116-330—the Circulating Collectible
Coin Redesign Act of 2020—the American Women Quarters Program will
feature coins with reverse (tails) designs emblematic of the
accomplishments and contributions of prominent American women.
Contributions may come from a wide spectrum of fields including,
but not limited to, suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government,
humanities, science, space, and the arts. The women honored will
come from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse
backgrounds. As required by the Public Law, no living person will
be featured in the coin designs, and thus all the women honored
must be deceased. The Mint will issue up to five coins with
different reverse designs annually over the four-year period from
2022 through 2025.
The obverse (heads) of coins in the American Women Quarters
Program will continue to feature a likeness of George Washington designed in a manner to
distinguish it from the current image.
As stipulated by the Public Law, the Secretary of the Treasury
selects the women to be honored following consultation with the
Smithsonian Institution's American Women's History Initiative, the
National Women's History Museum, and the Congressional Bipartisan
Women's Caucus.
The public is invited to submit recommendations for women to be
honored via the following web portal established by the National
Women's History Museum: https://forms.gle/3BgR3BLbFfJ69XdYA.
The Mint will release additional details about the American
Women Quarters Program in the coming months.
About the United States Mint
Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint
became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the
Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is
responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to
conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic
products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins;
Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and
gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and
operate at no cost to taxpayers.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Visit
https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/american-women-quarters
to learn more about the American Women Quarters Program.
- Visit https://www.usmint.gov/about for information about the
United States Mint.
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United States Mint – Connecting America through Coins
Media Contact
Office of Corporate Communications, United States Mint, (202)
354-7222, inquiries@usmint.treas.gov
SOURCE United States Mint