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.[1] 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."[2] The obverse depicts George Washington with a new design.[3] Most of the women featured have been from ethnic minority groups.[4][5]
The program was authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Anthony Gonzalez.[6] The original proposal was for 56 quarters, honoring one woman from each state and territory,[7] 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.[1] It replaced an alternative proposal of quarters featuring animals or endangered species.[8] It will be followed in 2027–2030 with a series depicting youth sports.[9]
In addition to circulating coins, the series is also minted as a silver proof set.[10]
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.[11] Many numismatists are more interested in redesigns of other denominations and less frequent releases.[12]
- ^ a b "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". congress.gov. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ Fischer, Debra; Masto, Catherine Cortez. "American women who shaped history are coming soon to quarters, just like George Washington". USA Today. Retrieved 2021-03-13.
- ^ Foust, Emaline (March 18, 2022). "You Suffered as a Woman and a Minority? You Oughta be on Quarters".
- ^ "Rulers, Goddesses and Activists: Portraits of Women on Coins". NewsClick. January 14, 2022.
- ^ "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. Archived from the original on 2023-10-23. 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. Archived from the original on 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Silver Proof Set for American Women Quarters". Numismatic News. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ "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.