Starting this year, the US mints are producing new collectible quarters. The 25 cent pieces will retain their size of 24.26mm and a portrait of George Washington, although it looks like he got a facelift for this one.
The program is scheduled to run through 2025 and produce up to twenty different designs.
The new series celebrates historically significant and inspirational American women including; Nina Otero-Warren, Anna May Wong, Maya Angelou, Wilma Mankiller, and Dr. Sally Ride.
Born in 1881 in New Mexico, Nina Otero-Warren was a Spanish-American educator, suffragette, and politician. She fought for equality in schools and voting rights, maintaining both languages in public schools and in the voting booth. She also fought to keep tribal identities intact, despite the Federal mandate to assimilate children into white culture. Otero-Warren remained an activist in New York, and New Mexico until her death in 1965.
Wong Liu-Tsong, better known by her stage name Anna May Wong, was born in 1905 in California and is considered the first Chinese-American movie star. She acted in Hollywood and Europe during the 1920s through the 1950s working to undo the Chinese-exotic stereotype. She remained an activist until her death in 1961.
Maya Angelou is an award-winning author and poet, and African American social activist. She was born in 1928 in Missouri and began publishing in 1971 with a collection of poetry. Angelou gained National recognition with the publication of her novel I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, in 1969. She continued to write until her death in 2014.
Native American Willma Mankiller was born in 1945 in Oklahoma and died in 2010. Her social work and activism made her an excellent Principle Chief of the Cherokee nation from 1985 to 1995 When she left politics she resumed activism, writing a book and giving lectures. Although plagued with health issues, Mankiller’s dedication is an inspiration to us all.
California-born Dr. Sally Ride was a physicist, the youngest American astronaut, and the first American woman in space. She was born in 1951 and died in 2012. Working with NASA from 1977 onward, she was the only person to serve on both the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Columbia investigation panels. In 2001 she created the Sally Ride Science, a foundation to encourage children, especially girls, to pursue careers in STEM fields.
Thank you for joining us today! We look forward to this collection of quarters, and exploring each new release with you!
See you next time on Pendant and Ring.
See the United States Mint for more details.
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