In a Press Release, the United States Mint has announced the designs of the upcoming 2022 American Women Quarter Program releases. The series, honoring American women and their impact on the country, is a new program that is aimed to run from 2022 to 2025. Each year, five women will be honored in the Reverse designs of the Washington Quarter. For 2022, Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong will be honored in the designs.
“These inspiring coin designs tell the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are indelibly etched in American culture,” said United States Mint Acting Director Alison L. Doone. “Generations to come will look at coins bearing these designs and be reminded of what can be accomplished with vision, determination and a desire to improve opportunities for all.”
Mint Acting Director Alison L. Doone, United States Mint
Here are the five designs for the 2022 coins and the historical significance of the women they represent.
- Maya Angelou—celebrated writer, performer, social activist
Designer: Emily Damstra, AIP Designer
Sculptor: Craig A. Campbell, Medallic Artist
The design 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. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “MAYA ANGELOU,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.”
- Dr. Sally Ride—physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman to soar into space
Designer: Elana Hagler, AIP Designer
Sculptor: Phebe Hemphill, Medallic Artist
This design depicts Dr. Ride next to a window on the space shuttle, inspired by her quote, “But when I wasn’t working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth.” The inscription “E PLURIBUS UNUM” is intentionally positioned over the Earth next to America, indicating that out of all women in the United States, Dr. Ride was the first into space. The additional inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” and “DR. SALLY RIDE.”
- Wilma Mankiller—first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and an activist for Native American and women’s rights
Designer: Ben Sowards, AIP Designer
Sculptor: Phebe Hemphill, Medallic Artist
This design depicts Wilma Mankiller with a resolute gaze to the future. The wind is at her back, and she is wrapped in a traditional shawl. To her left is the seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “WILMA MANKILLER,” “PRINCIPAL CHIEF,” and “CHEROKEE NATION,” which is written in the Cherokee syllabary.
- Nina Otero-Warren—a leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools
Designer: Chris Costello, AIP Designer
Sculptor: Craig A. Campbell, Medallic Artist
The design features an image of Nina Otero-Warren on the left, flanked by three individual Yucca flowers—New Mexico’s state flower. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “E PLUIBUS UNUM,” “NINA OTERO-WARREN,” and “VOTO PARA LA MUJER,” the Spanish counterpart for the suffragist slogan “Votes for Women.”
- Anna May Wong—first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, who left a legacy for women in the film industry
Designer: Emily Damstra, AIP Designer
Sculptor: John P. McGraw, Medallic Artist
This design features a close-up image of Anna May Wong with her head resting on her hand, surrounded by the bright lights of a marquee sign. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” and “ANNA MAY WONG.”
Editors Note: The United States Mint has not released a high resolution images of the Anna May Wong design. Should the Mint update this image, this article will be updated.