In January, new quarters began rolling out across the United States.
What’s so special about these new quarters? They are minted with new images — of women.
Should this news make me happy? Maybe. But it makes me angry.
They put women on coins? The lowest form of currency that almost no one uses, unless they’re desperate?
I have coins that’ve been in my wallet since 2002.
How about, instead of putting us on the backside of coins (lol, we are not even on the front), you work on getting us equal pay for equal work? Or not overturning Roe v. Wade? You know, the important issues that actually impact our lives.
But let’s get back to the quarters — I’m not done bitching yet.
Are we not worthy of paper currency? No one is asking to be featured on a C-note or a dub but, at the very least, we could be featured on a measly greenback.
On the bright side, at least they didn’t put these notable women on the penny, so it’s better than nothing (women have been subsisting on the whole “It’s better than nothing” bullshit forever).
Anyway, on to who will be featured on the shiny new quarters!
The Notable Women
“The 2022 coins recognize the achievements of Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong,” says the U.S. Mint.
“These inspiring coin designs tell the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are indelibly etched in American culture,” says 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.”
2022 Reverse Designs
In accordance with the design selection process, Secretary of the Treasury, Janet L. Yellen, selected the final designs.
All reverse designs (this means the women are on the back of the quarter) were created by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) Designers and sculpted by United States Mint Medallic Artists.
The line art of the designs is available here.
American Women Quarters
The distinguished American women celebrated on the 2022 quarters will be:
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Maya Angelou — celebrated writer, performer, and social activist
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Dr. Sally Ride — physicist, astronaut, educator, and the first American woman in space
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Wilma Mankiller — the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation
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Nina Otero-Warren — a leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools
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Anna May Wong — the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood
Obverse Design
The obverse of each American Women Quarters coin will feature a portrait of George Washington facing right, originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser.
“As required by law, the new quarters will keep George Washington’s likeness on the obverse, or heads side, of the coins. However, they will feature an updated and right-facing depiction of the first U.S. president, designed by Fraser, one of the most prolific female sculptors of the early 20th century.
“Fraser designed the Alabama Centennial Half Dollar in 1921, becoming the first woman to design a U.S. coin. The Mint used her George Washington design on a 1999 gold commemorative coin marking the 200th anniversary of Washington’s death.”
Public Reaction
While some cheered the quarter news, others were less than thrilled.
When it was announced that Angelou, the first Black woman to be featured on a quarter-dollar, Hillary Clinton and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), praised the initiative as long-overdue recognition.
But others criticized the move, calling out the country for not fulfilling previous promises to update U.S. paper currency with historic women.
The Obama administration did make an effort to replace Andrew Jackson, the President responsible for the 1830 Indian Removal Act, with abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill, but that was shelved by the Trump Administration (of course it was).
President Biden took office and promised to revive the plan and “speed up” the process, but Tubman will not appear on the bill by the end of Biden’s first term or a potential second term, The Washington Post reported.
Criticism
And in a tweet that spoke volumes with the public, Rutgers professor Brittney Cooper said, “Change was needed elsewhere, particularly in efforts to advance reproductive and civil rights.”
To repeat: I don’t need Black women’s likenesses on my coins or my bills. I need reproductive justice. I need Congress to protect the right to vote; Black women are the most consistent of Dem voters. Don’t put Black women on money; put your money on Black women.
— Brittney Cooper (@ProfessorCrunk) January 11, 2022
According to a 2016 Vox study, only 48 countries circulate currency with women printed on paper currency.
But it’s been over a century since a woman appeared on paper money in America, and efforts to change this have been slow going.
“In selecting the 2022 honorees for the American Women Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint consulted with the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative, the congressional bipartisan Women’s Caucus, and the National Women’s History Museum, which opened an online submission portal and received more than 11,000 recommendations from the public,” according to The Lily.
Treasury Secretary Yellen made the final call in selecting the women to honor which was announced in June.
“Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country — what we value, and how we’ve progressed as a society,” Yellen said in a statement.
This could be the beginning of honoring women and their legacies — a slow start but a start, nonetheless.
How do you feel about featuring women on U.S. coins? Do you think it’s a step forward or not even close? Tell us below!
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