If you take a close look at the quarters jingling around in your pocket or purse, you may notice that some of them look a bit different these days. In 2022, the U.S. Mint rolled out updated 25-cent pieces featuring a fresh portrait of George Washington on the front and a series of influential American women on the reverse.
These redesigned quarters are part of the American Women Quarters Program which began in 2022 and will continue through 2025. Each year, the U.S. Mint is issuing special quarters to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of notable women from a variety of fields and backgrounds.
Let‘s take a deeper dive into the history of the quarter, the details behind this latest design update, and what we can expect to see in our change in the coming years as this exciting initiative unfolds.
A Brief History of America‘s Quarter
The quarter dollar has a long and storied history as part of the U.S. monetary system. It was one of the first coins authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792 and originally featured Lady Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse.
Over the decades, the quarter has undergone numerous revamps, including:
- Draped Bust (1796-1807)
- Capped Bust (1815-1838)
- Seated Liberty (1838-1891)
- Barber Head (1892-1916)
- Standing Liberty (1916-1930)
Then in 1932, in honor of the 200th anniversary of George Washington‘s birth, his portrait was introduced on the coin‘s obverse, designed by sculptor John Flanagan. This classic Washington quarter design remained largely unchanged for over 50 years.
Starting in 1999, the Mint launched the popular 50 State Quarters Program which featured unique reverse designs for each U.S. state and territory. This series was followed by the America the Beautiful Quarters from 2010-2021 showcasing national parks and sites.
Honoring Trailblazing Women
In January 2021, Congress passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act which paved the way for the American Women Quarters Program among other numismatic initiatives. The Act aimed to honor the accomplishments and contributions of prominent women in U.S. history through this special series of quarters.
The obverse (heads) of the coins still depicts George Washington, but with a refreshed right-facing portrait designed decades earlier by acclaimed sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser. Fraser was famous in her own right as one of the most prominent female sculptors of the early 20th century.
For the reverse (tails) of the 2022 quarters, the Mint selected the following five pioneering women from diverse backgrounds and fields after receiving input from the public:
Maya Angelou – Celebrated author, poet and civil rights activist. Design depicts Angelou with her arms uplifted and a bird and rising sun behind her.
Dr. Sally Ride – First American woman to fly in space in 1983. Design shows Ride next to a window on the space shuttle gazing at Earth.
Wilma Mankiller – First female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. Design depicts Mankiller with a resolute gaze and wearing a traditional shawl.
Nina Otero-Warren – Leader in New Mexico‘s suffrage movement and first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools. Design features Otero-Warren on the steps of a Spanish-style building.
Anna May Wong – First Chinese American film star in Hollywood. Design has a close-up of Wong with her head resting on her hand and the bright lights of a marquee sign behind her.
These five remarkable women made enduring impacts on American society and paved the way for progress for women‘s equality. By giving each a place of honor on the U.S. quarter, the Mint aims to celebrate their legacies and introduce their stories to a new generation.
The Art and Science Behind Coin Redesign
Designing coins is a blend of artistry, history, politics and practicality. There are a number of reasons a country may opt to change the appearance of its currency:
Commemoration: Arguably the most common rationale, issuing coins with new designs is a way to honor important people, places or events in a nation‘s history and raise public awareness about them.
Addressing counterfeiting: As imaging and printing technologies advance, it becomes easier for criminals to create fake money. Regularly updating currency with enhanced security features helps combat counterfeiting.
Functionality: Minor design tweaks may be made to improve a coin‘s durability, make it easier to distinguish from others, or allow it to work better in vending machines.
Collector interest: Mints know that coin redesigns spark excitement among collectors. Introducing new artistic coins is a reliable way to generate buzz and boost sales of numismatic products.
When it comes to U.S. coinage, it‘s up to Congress to authorize any changes, often with input from the Treasury Secretary. Once a redesign gets the green light, the engravers and artists at the U.S. Mint get to work creating a slate of candidate designs.
These are reviewed by groups like the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and various subject matter experts to offer feedback on their accuracy, quality and appropriateness. The winning designs are selected by the Treasury Secretary, produced by the Mint, and released into circulation.
A Modern Update Steeped in History
For the American Women Quarters Program, the Mint dug into its own history for the new obverse design. The right-facing Washington portrait created by Laura Gardin Fraser was originally submitted in a 1931 competition to commemorate the first president‘s 200th birthday.
While Fraser‘s elegant design received high praise at the time, the Treasury ultimately went with the left-facing version by John Flanagan which became the quarter we‘ve grown accustomed to over the past 90 years.
Switching Washington‘s gaze to the right pays special tribute to Fraser‘s artistry while also tying into the program‘s goal of honoring influential women. However, some observers were quick to point out how the change meant Washington was now facing away from the "In God We Trust" motto, speculating it reflected a drift in values. (A similar right-facing Washington design was used in 1999 for the 200th anniversary of Washington‘s death without much controversy).
Others celebrated seeing more diversity and representation on the humble quarter. Many praised the Mint for amplifying women‘s voices and stories, especially in the wake of the #MeToo and women‘s movements of the late 2010s.
More Historic Women on the Horizon
So what groundbreaking women will be gracing our quarters next? Here‘s a sneak peek at the lineup for the rest of the American Women Quarters Program:
In 2023, the quarters will feature:
- Bessie Coleman – First African American and Native American female pilot
- Edith Kanaka‘ole – Indigenous Hawaiian composer, chanter, and custodian of native culture
- Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady, author, reformer, and civil liberties advocate
- Jovita Idar – Mexican American journalist, activist, and suffragist
- Maria Tallchief – First Native American prima ballerina
For 2024, we can look forward to seeing:
- Patsy Takemoto Mink – First woman of color elected to Congress
- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – Civil War surgeon and abolitionist
- Pauli Murray – Poet, lawyer, and civil rights activist
- Zitkala-Ša – Writer, composer, and advocate for Native Americans‘ rights
- Celia Cruz – Cuban-American singer known as the "Queen of Salsa"
The Mint will continue releasing five new quarter designs each year through 2025 until the conclusion of the program. The specific women to be depicted in 2025 are still to be determined.
The More Things Change…
While the fresh faces and stories highlighted by the American Women Quarters provide an exciting and educational collecting opportunity, there‘s also something comforting about the continuity of this series.
No matter which amazing woman appears on the reverse, and regardless of which way George Washington happens to be facing, the old saying "a quarter is still a quarter" rings true.
Whether it‘s the Draped Bust from the 1700s, a bicentennial special from 1976, or the upcoming 2023 Bessie Coleman, each unique 25 cent piece represents a small chapter of American history you can hold in the palm of your hand. These ever-evolving coins serve as enduring reminders of where we‘ve been as a nation and how far we‘ve come.
With the American Women Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint has created an engaging platform to broaden that story, spark conversation, and celebrate unsung heroes who have shaped this country. So next time you‘re fishing for change, take a moment to appreciate the remarkable women making a well-deserved appearance on this old American standby.
