The United States Mint has announced the names of five women who will be featured in the American Women Quarters Program for 2022, and among the list is Anna May Wong.
Why it matters: The new design, which was announced on Wednesday, is part of a four-year program that features designs of women who have made a mark in American history, according to ABC News.
- Included in the list is Wong, the first Chinese American movie star.
- “These inspiring coin designs tell the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are indelibly etched in American culture,” the U.S. Mint’s acting director, Alison L. Doone, said.
- Other women to be included in the new quarters next year are the first American woman to go into space Dr. Sally Ride, the writer Maya Angelou, a leader in New Mexico’s suffrage movement Nina Otero-Warren and Wilma Mankiller, the first female-elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Other details: The selection process for the designs of the quarters comes in six steps, which include Appointing Liaisons, Develop Design Concept Pool, Formal Concept Recommendation and Secretarial Approval, Design Production, Candidate Design Review and Final Selection, according to the U.S. Mint.
- The U.S. Mint will “issue up to five new reverse designs each year” to honor individuals from different fields — such as civil rights, science, and the arts, among others — who have made tremendous accomplishments in the country.
- “Generations to come will look at coins bearing these designs and be reminded of what can be accomplished with vision, determination and a desire to improve opportunities for all,” Doone said.
- The government branch invited the public to nominate women they thought should be featured on U.S. quarters starting next year, with the only requirement being that the women on the coin must be deceased, CNN reported.
Featured Image via U.S. Mint
