United States Mint images along with a few collector products and circulation release dates have been published for the 2022 American Women quarter dollars. Authorized under Public Law 116-330, the U.S. Mint’s four-year series of American Women Quarters™ features reverses (tails side) that celebrate the contributions of notable women who have shaped American history.
The quarter program calls for up to five unique quarter designs every year beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2025. The women commemorated on the 2022-dated quarters are:
- Maya Angelou – celebrated writer, performer, and social activist
- Dr. Sally Ride – physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman in space
- Wilma Mankiller – first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation
- Nina Otero-Warren – a leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools
- Anna May Wong – first Chinese American film star in Hollywood
In October, the U.S. Mint unveiled line art images for these quarters that came about from a several-step design selection process.
Flashing forward a couple of months to now, some quarter release dates, and other quarter product information is available.
For example, 2022 Maya Angelou quarters began shipping earlier this month, with an official circulation release date of Jan. 3. Some are already appearing in pocket change.
Also, the U.S. Mint will begin selling rolls and bags of uncirculated Maya Angelou quarters on Feb. 7 at prices ranging from $36 to $54. Made for coin collectors, uncirculated coins are hand-loaded into coining presses, and they are struck on specially burnished blanks.
Circulating release dates for the other four 2022 quarters have yet to be announced, although releases around the months of March, June, August, and November are typical based on previous quarter programs.
Editor’s note: The latest published circulation release dates are March 21 for the Dr. Sally Ride quarter, June 6 for the Wilma Mankiller quarter, Aug. 15 for the Nina Otero-Warren quarter, and Oct. 24 for the Anna May Wong quarter.
In addition, the U.S. Mint has March 22 as the date of release for uncirculated Dr. Sally Ride quarter rolls and bags. (Editor’s note: read about their release.) Currently, rolls and bags of Wilma Mankiller quarters, Nina Otero-Warren quarters and Anna May Wong quarters have more general release dates of spring, summer, and fall.
Editor’s note: The latest published roll and bag release dates are June 14 for the Wilma Mankiller quarter, Aug. 16 for the Nina Otero-Warren quarter, and Oct. 25 for the Anna May Wong quarter.
Regarding annual quarter sets, the U.S. Mint has not scheduled release dates for their clad 2022 American Women Quarters Proof Set or their 2022 American Women Quarters Silver Proof Set, but they have published images and prices for them.
Editor’s note: The U.S. Mint just published release dates of March 8 for the clad proof set and March 29 for the silver proof set.
Proof coins, also made specially for collectors, have frosted foregrounds and mirror-like backgrounds. Compositions of the clad proof quarters are the same as those released into circulation while silver proof quarters are minted in 99.9% fine silver. The clad set will be $21, and the silver set will be $73.
Finally, the U.S. Mint will also offer five ornaments with each featuring one of the quarters in uncirculated quality.
The ornaments go on sale Aug. 26 for 30.95 apiece.
2022 Quarter Images
Larger U.S. Mint-published images and descriptions of the five quarter designs follow.
Maya Angelou Quarter
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 Quarter
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 Quarter
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 Quarter
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 Quarter
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."
Common Quarter Obverses
The obverse (heads side) design is common across all quarters in the four-year series. Originally created by Laura Gardin Fraser for the Bicentennial of George Washington’s birth in 1932, it depicts a portrait of George Washington.
an American Women Quarter. The design is common across the quarters in the four-year series.
This design was actually recommended for the 1932 quarter by the George Washington Bicentennial Committee and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, but then-Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon instead selected the familiar John Flannigan design.
Inscriptions include "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "2022."
