The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, or CCAC, has released the candidate design images for the 2023 American Women Quarter Program. The release came yesterday at the beginning of the scheduled CCAC meeting. 2023 will represent the second year of the five-year program, honoring significant American women throughout the history of the United States.
As a reminder, the five women that will be honored next year will be:
- Bessie Coleman – pilot, advocate, and pioneer who flew to great heights as the first African American and first Native American woman pilot, as well as the first African American to earn an international pilot’s license.
- Jovita Idár – Mexican American journalist, activist, teacher, and suffragist. She devoted her life to fighting against separatist ideologies and sought to create a better future for Mexican Americans.
- Edith Kanakaʻole – indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, dancer, teacher, and entertainer. Her moʻolelo, or stories, served to rescue aspects of Hawaiian history, customs, and traditions that were disappearing due to the cultural bigotry of the time.
- Eleanor Roosevelt – first lady, author, reformer, and leader. As chairperson of the Human Rights Commission where she oversaw the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as the first chair of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, she advocated diligently for the civil liberties and needs of the poor, minorities, and the disadvantaged.
- Maria Tallchief – America’s first prima ballerina, she broke barriers as a Native American ballerina who exhibited strength and resilience both on and off the stage.
The candidate designs for all five of next year’s releases that the CCAC is considering.
Final design selections for all of the 2023 American Women Quarters will be made later this year and will be announced by the CCAC via the United States Mint.
About the CCAC
In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5135, the CCAC:
- Advises the Secretary of the Treasury on any theme or design proposals relating to circulating coinage, bullion coinage, Congressional Gold Medals, and national and other medals.
- Advises the Secretary of the Treasury with regards to the events, persons, or places to be commemorated by the issuance of commemorative coins in each of the five calendar years succeeding the year in which a commemorative coin designation is made.
- Makes recommendations with respect to the mintage level for any commemorative coin recommended.
The CCAC was established in 2003 by Congress under Public Law 108-15.