Celebrating the only woman ever awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States Mint today released rolls and bags of the 2024 Dr. Mary Edwards Walker quarter. It is the newest coin in the U.S. Mint’s American Women Quarters™ Program.
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The options for the new products include circulation-quality quarters struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. These products come in two-roll sets, three-roll sets, and 100-coin bags. Although the coins are of circulation grade, they have never actually been released into circulation.
Dr. Walker was born on November 26, 1832, and earned her medical degree in 1855 from Syracuse Medical College in New York, graduating with honors. At the start of the American Civil War, she attempted to volunteer for the Union Army but was denied because she was a woman. Her tenacity eventually led her to become the first female U.S. Army surgeon as a "Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian)." At one point, she was captured by Confederate forces while assisting a Confederate doctor during an amputation across enemy lines. She remained a prisoner of war for four months.
In addition to her notable medical career, Walker is also remembered as a women’s rights and dress reform advocate. She passed away at the age of 86 in 1919.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker Quarter Designs
Shown on the reverse (tails side) of each quarter is a likeness of Walker holding her pocket surgical kit, with the Medal of Honor on her uniform and surgeon’s pin at her collar.
he inscriptions on the reverse read: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, 25 CENTS, DR. MARY EDWARDS WALKER, and MEDAL OF HONOR 1865. The design is the work of U.S. Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill.
All coins of the American Women Quarters series bear the same obverse (heads side) portrait of George Washington. The image of Washington was sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser over 90 years ago to celebrate the first President of the United States 200th birthday.
Quarter Specifications
| Denomination: | Quarter |
| Finish: | Uncirculated |
| Composition: | 8.33% nickel, balance copper |
| Weight: | 5.670 grams |
| Diameter: | 0.955 inch (24.26 mm) |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| Mint and Mint Mark: | Philadelphia – P Denver – D San Francisco – S |
| Privy Mark: | None |
Quarter Products, Prices, Limits, and Ordering
Specifically, options and prices for the new quarter products are:
- Two-Roll Sets containing 40 quarters produced at the Philadelphia Mint and 40 quarters produced at the Denver Mint for $40.
- Three-Roll Sets containing 40 quarters from the Philadelphia Mint, 40 from the Denver Mint, and 40 from the San Francisco Mint for $60.
- 100-Coin Bags where buyers have the choice of 100 coins from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint for $45.
Product limits are set at 6,000 for the Two-Roll Sets, 16,625 for the Three-Roll Sets, and 8,250 for each of the 100-Coin Bags. Additionally, initial household order limits are three for any of the roll sets and ten for the bags.
American Women Quarter products may be ordered directly from the U.S. Mint’s online catalog.
Of note, Walker quarters were released into circulation on June 3rd through the Federal Reserve Bank System. However, these include only the Philadelphia and Denver Mint quarters, as the San Francisco strikes are produced solely for numismatic purposes.
American Women Quarters Program
American Women Quarters debuted in 2022 and were created by Congress under Public Law 116-330, which dictates a total of twenty new coins over four years to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States.
The 2024 quarters honor the following individuals:
- Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray – poet, writer, activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest
- Patsy Takemoto Mink – first woman of color to serve in Congress
- Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – Civil War era surgeon, women’s rights and dress reform advocate
- Celia Cruz – Cuban-American singer, cultural icon, and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century
- Zitkala-Ša – writer, composer, educator, and political activist
Along with these new rolls and bags, American Women Quarters also appear in U.S. Mint clad proof sets, silver proof sets, holiday ornaments, and an uncirculated mint set.
The final coins from the program, quarters for 2025, will recognize Ida B. Wells, Juliette Gordon Low, Dr. Vera Rubin, Stacey Park Milbern, and Althea Gibson.
