The United States has four major coins. They are the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. Soon, one of these coins will get a big change. Last week, the U.S. announced five new designs. They are for the 2022 American Women Quarters collection. Five leading ladies will be featured on the back of the U.S. quarters. Read on to learn who made it onto the money!
Nina Otero-Warren (1881–1965)
¡Voto para la mujer! That is Spanish for “votes for women.” This famous slogan showed up in the 1900s. It will also appear on Nina Otero-Warren’s quarter. She was a leader in the women’s
movement in New Mexico. Otero-Warren also became the first Hispanic woman to run for U.S. Congress. Otero-Warren will be on a quarter along with three yucca flowers. That’s New Mexico’s state flower!
Anna May Wong (1905–1961)
As a kid, Anna May Wong would use her lunch money to go to the movies. When she was 9 years old, she decided she wanted to be a movie star. Wong was often bullied because of her race. But that didn’t stop her. She became the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood! Wong was in more than 60 movies. Wong’s quarter will show a close-up of her face. Small light bulbs that resemble movie sign lights surround her image.
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
“The caged bird sings of freedom.” Maya Angelou wrote those words. Throughout her life, Angelou wrote more than 30 books. Angelou worked in the arts for more than 60 years. Angelou’s quarter will show her with her arms raised. A flying bird and a rising sun sit behind Angelou’s figure. The U.S. Mint said these images are “inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived.”
Wilma Mankiller (1945–2010)
Wilma Mankiller grew up in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. That is the capital of the Cherokee Nation, one of the largest tribes of Native Americans. When Mankiller was 11 years old, she and her family moved to California. There, she met other Native Americans. She learned about their cultures. Mankiller later became the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. She spent her life fighting for the rights of Native Americans. Mankiller’s quarter will show her looking toward the future. The seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation sits on her left.
Sally Ride (1951–2012)
Sally Ride spent much of her life encouraging girls to study science. She even wrote five science-related children’s books! Her biggest
, however, may be that she became the first American woman in space in 1983. Ride once said, “I was usually at a window looking down at Earth.” Her quarter reflects this quote. Ride’s coin will show the astronaut next to a space shuttle window. The Earth sits below.
Updated October 13, 2021, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
