Women in American Coinage

Jump to: 1893 Isabella Quarter | Susan B. Anthony Dollar | Sacagawea Dollar | American Women Quarters | First Spousas Program | Modern Commemorative Dollars | Humanitarian Medal Program | Civil Rights Medal Program

As we enter Women’s History Month this March, we take a moment to highlight the remarkable women who have helped shape American history and have been honored on U.S. coinage.

While figures like Lady Liberty have long symbolized freedom on American coins (appearing as early as 1793), she is an allegorical ideal rather than a real woman. In this article, we highlight the actual women whose contributions have left an everlasting mark on the nation. 

From artists to diplomats, politicians to scientists, these women have shaped the course of history in meaningful ways.

Join us as we explore their legacies and the stories behind their representation in U.S. currency.

1893 Isabella Quarter

The Isabella Quarter Columbian Exposition Quarter was the first American coin to represent a real woman.

Source: PCGS || 1893 25C Isabella

This unique commemorative coin was issued for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, which aimed to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s 1492 voyage. Congress authorized production at the request of the Board of Lady Managers, making it the first U.S. coin directly influenced by an all-female committee.

Designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, the coin features Queen Isabella I of Spain, honoring her role in financing Columbus’s expedition. The reverse depicts a woman with a distaff and spindle, symbolizing women's contributions to industry.

Collectors prize the Isabella quarter for its rarity, historical significance, and unique design. 

The coin’s creation was driven by competition. The Lady Managers, led by Susan B. Anthony, in their formation, sought a commemorative piece to rival the Exposition’s half dollar, determined to produce the most artistic coin ever produced by the government of the United States.

Susan B. Anthony Dollar

Years later, it would be Susan B. Anthony herself to be honored with a US coin design, replacing the Eisenhower Dollar in 1979.

Source: PCGS || Susan B. Anthony Dollar

Born in 1820 in Massachusetts, Susan B. Anthony was an important activist whose belief in equality shaped her activism. She fought for abolition, serving as an Anti-Slavery Society agent in 1856. 

After meeting Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1851, they became lifelong partners in the fight for women’s rights. Anthony traveled the country advocating for suffrage until her death in 1906, 14 years before the 19th Amendment granted many women the right to vote.

She is depicted on the obverse of the Dollar Coin, while the reverse is the bald eagle landing on the moon, carrying a laurel as a symbol of victory, representing the Apollo 11 mission. 

Sacagawea Dollar

Source: PCGS || Sacagawea Dollar

First produced in 2000, the Sacagawea figure debuted in the U.S. coinage, representing the Shoshone Native American Woman Sacagawea, carrying her infant son, Jean-Baptiste. 

Sacagawea served as an interpreter and guide for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their expedition from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. Her name, recorded with various spellings in the expedition members' journals, is widely believed to have Hidatsa origins, with "Sacaga" meaning "bird" and "wea" meaning "woman."

In 2009, the United States Mint introduced a new series called Native American, with new reverse designs to honor Native American tribes and their contributions to U.S. history and development. Meanwhile, Sacagawea has remained on the obverse, as the program continues to this day.

American Women Quarters

The American Women Quarters program is a four-year program made to honor the contributions of American women in various fields. From 2022 until 2025, the mint will release five reverse designs yearly, each representing women's achievements in different areas of activity.

The obverse of each coin depicts George Washington, who has been on the quarter since 1932, the 200th anniversary of his birth.

2022

Source: PCGS || American Woman Quarter 2022 - Maya Angelou

• Maya Angelou – Acclaimed author, performer, and advocate for social justice;
• Dr. Sally Ride – Trailblazing physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman in space;
• Wilma Mankiller – Pioneering leader and the first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation;
• Nina Otero-Warren – Prominent suffragist and the first woman to lead Santa Fe’s public school system;
• Anna May Wong – Groundbreaking Chinese American actress and Hollywood’s first Asian film star.

2023

Source: U.S Mint || American Women Quarters 2023 - Jovita Idar

• Bessie Coleman – The first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot's license;
• Edith Kanakaʻole – Renowned Indigenous Hawaiian composer and guardian of native culture and traditions;
• Eleanor Roosevelt – Influential leader, reformer, First Lady, and author;
• Jovita Idár – Mexican-American journalist, activist, educator, and suffragist;
• Maria Tallchief – America’s first prima ballerina and a pioneering figure in ballet.

2024

Source: USA Coin Book || American Woman Quarter 2024 - Zitkala-Ša

• Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray – Poet, writer, activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest;
• Patsy Takemoto Mink – The first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress;
• Dr. Mary Edwards Walker – Civil War-era surgeon, women's rights advocate, and proponent of dress reform;
• Celia Cruz – Iconic Cuban-American singer and one of the most influential Latin artists of the 20th century;
• Zitkala-Ša – Writer, composer, educator, and political activist dedicated to Native American rights.

2025

• Ida B. Wells – Investigative journalist, suffragist, and civil rights leader who fought for civil rights.

Source: U.S Mint

• Juliette Gordon Low – Founder of the Girl Scouts of the United States, empowering girls through leadership and service.

Source: U.S Mint

• Dr. Vera Rubin – Astronomer who made groundbreaking contributions to the study of galaxy rotation.

Source: U.S Mint

• Stacey Park Milbern – Activist advocating for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Source: U.S Mint

• Althea Gibson – Multi-sport athlete and the first Black woman to break tennis' color barrier at the highest levels.

Source: U.S Mint

Read our complete list of the most valuable quarters.

First Spouses Bullion Coin Program

The First Spouses Program was established to honor the contributions of First Ladies who served the country. Below is a list of all First Spouses depicted on American coinage through this program. Each played a significant role in their own way, but before the list, take a look further at two examples:

Source: PCGS|| 2014-W $10 Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt, the 32nd First Spouse, was a lifelong advocate for social causes. After supporting her husband's political career, she became actively involved in politics herself. Appointed by President Truman as a UN delegate, she chaired the Commission on Human Rights (1946–1951) and played a key role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

Source: PCGS|| 2015-W $10 Jacqueline Kennedy

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of America's most famous First Ladies (1961–1963) and a fashion icon, made a lasting impact through her work to restore the White House to its original elegance. 

She founded the White House Historical Association to educate the public and raise funds for its preservation. 

Check the complete list of First Spouses in the order that they served below: 

The U.S. Mint also produces First Spouse Bronze Medals in the 1-5/16″ size. 

They bear the same central images as the gold coins and are inscribed with the first spouse's name and the order and years of their term.

Modern Silver and Clad Commemorative Coins (1982- Date)

Modern commemorative silver dollars debuted in 1984 with a coin for the Los Angeles Olympics. Since then, at least one has been issued annually (except in 1985). 

These popular coins have featured diverse themes, including the White House Bicentennial (1992), multiple Olympic events, Leif Ericson (2000), and Louis Braille (2009).

Check the women represented in the program:

Dolley Madison – 1999 Silver Dollar

Source: PCGS || 1999-P $1 Dolley Madison

Dolley Madison, wife of President James Madison, is immortalized on a coin for her help during the War of 1812. When the British set fire to the White House in 1814, she saved the iconic Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington and other important documents, preserving key pieces of American history. 

This coin honors her legacy with a striking bust on the obverse and Montpelier, her final home and resting place, on the reverse. The Dolley Madison Commemorative Silver Dollar was the first coin ever to honor a First Lady!

Do you know what are the most valuable silver dollars ever made? Read in our article.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver – 1995 Special Olympics Commemorative Dollar

In 1995, the Special Olympics World Games Silver Dollar was minted to celebrate the event and its mission of fostering self-confidence and social skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Also known as the Special Olympiad, the Games are an international sporting event dedicated to athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Source: NGC || 1995 P Special Olympics

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics, became the first living woman depicted on U.S. coinage.

She is depicted on the obverse, while her famous quote is written on the reverse.

Humanitarian and Cultural Medal Program (Issued by the U.S. Mint)

These special medals minted by the United States Mint commemorate individuals and events that have influenced not only American history but the world as a whole.

Source: The U.S. Mint

• Mother Teresa of Calcutta: A Catholic saint and humanitarian known for her lifelong dedication to the poor and sick, founding the Missionaries of Charity and receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her charitable work; 
• Katherine Johnson:  Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose NASA calculations were vital to the success of early U.S. crewed spaceflights; 

• Mary Winston Jackson: An African American mathematician and aerospace engineer who broke racial and gender barriers at NASA, contributing to the success of the U.S. space program; 

• Dorothy J. Vaughan: She was the first African American female supervisor at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and later became a leading expert in digital computing for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) programs; 

• Dr. Christine Darden: renowned for her research on supersonic aircraft noise and sonic boom reduction. She was the first African American woman at NASA Langley to reach the Senior Executive Service and is also recognized for mentoring future aerospace scientists and engineers;

• Daw Aung San Suu Kyi: She is a Burmese politician, diplomat, and activist who served as Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister. 

Icons of the Civil Rights Movement - Bronze Medal Collection

As part of the Humanitarian and Cultural Medal program, the U.S. Mint offers a collection of medals honoring iconic figures in the ongoing battle for civil rights, recognizing the many individuals whose contributions toward equality have stood out over the years.

Source: The U.S Mint

• Rosa Parks: American civil rights activist, renowned for her key role in the Montgomery bus boycott; 

• Coretta Scott King: American author, activist, and civil rights leader, wife of Martin Luther King Jr; 

• Dr. Dorothy Height: African-American civil rights and women's rights activist.

Final Words

As we reflect on the women who have shaped American history and left their mark on U.S. coinage, we recognize that their contributions extend far beyond currency. 

From pioneers in politics, science, and civil rights to artists, these women have redefined boundaries and inspired generations. Their presence on U.S. coins is a lasting tribute to their legacies, ensuring that their impact is remembered and celebrated for years to come.