The U.S. Mint has just announced the American women that will be featured on its 2024 American Women Quarters. TheAmerican Women Quarters Program honors female icons who have made American history over the centuries.
The mint’s 2024 selections include a poet, a Civil War surgeon, a singer, a political activist and a member of Congress.
“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” said Ventris C. Gibson, U.S. Mint Director, in a press release. “The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”
The 2024 American Women Quarters feature Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to become a member of Congress; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a surgeon for the Union Army who later became a prisoner of war after being captured by the Confederates; Pauli Murray (shown above), a poet, civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Organization for Women with Betty Friedan; Zitkala-Ša, a member of the Yankton Dakota Sioux who went on to become a political activist fighting for Indigenous Americans; and Celia Cruz (shown below), a Cuban-American singer who helped to bring salsa music into the mainstream.
Last month, the Bessie Coleman quarter entered circulation, an apt choice for Black History Month, as Coleman was the first Black woman to earn a pilot’s license.
“Her tenacious drive and fearless personality helped pave the way for future generations of aviators and for women,” Gibson said when the quarter was released.
If you want to be sure to get the new 2024 American Women Quarters, subscribe here on the U.S. Mint’s website to make sure you’ll receive each coin by 2025.
You can also purchase past sets of the American Women Quarters, including 2023’s coins featuring Bessie Coleman, Edith KanakaÊ»ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar and Maria Tallchief.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
