Maya Angelou becomes first Black woman to appear on US quarter as Treasury begins distribution
Source: CNN
Washington (CNN) A new US quarter featuring the late Maya Angelou went into circulation Monday, the US Mint announced, making the legendary poet and activist the first Black woman ever to appear on the coin. The Maya Angelou quarter is the first in the American Women Quarters Program, which will include coins featuring prominent women in American history. Other quarters in the series will begin rolling out later this year and through 2025, the Mint said in a release on Monday.
"Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country -- what we value, and how we've progressed as a society," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a separate statement. "I'm very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America's most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou."
The new coin still features George Washington's visage on the "heads" side, while the "tails" side honors Angelou by evoking one of her most famous works, the autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Lawmakers cheered the release of the new coin on Monday and credited Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, with the achievement. Lee introduced the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which passed in January 2021 and ultimately paved the way for the creation of these new coins.
"The phenomenal women who shaped American history have gone unrecognized for too long -- especially women of color," Lee said in a tweet. "Proud to have led this bill to honor their legacies." The US Mint invited the public to submit names of women they view as American icons. The bureau welcomed entries of women known for their work in civil rights, science and the arts, among other areas, with an emphasis on women from "ethnically, racially and geographically diverse backgrounds." The only requirement was that the women who appear on the coins must be deceased.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/politics/maya-angelou-quarter-issued/index.html
secondwind
(16,903 posts)Lunabell
(6,080 posts)So representative of her and her writing.
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)Lunabell
(6,080 posts)The article didn't say. Off to google...
On edit. No. That sucks. But beautiful, nonetheless.
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)But I will say they did an excellent job with the concept and execution.
https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/american-women-quarters/maya-angelou
Emily Damstra (Artistic Infusion Program Designer)
Craig Campbell (Medallic Artist)
LoisB
(7,206 posts)SpankMe
(2,957 posts)So, we'll continue to see cool coins like this coming out.
The dickheads in Trump-world were probably proposing the Sean Hannity nickel just as the Orange Asshole ® was leaving office. And the rough draft was probably in crayon.
sabbat hunter
(6,829 posts)But I want to know when is Andrew jackson getting removed from the 20?
bahboo
(16,337 posts)elleng
(130,902 posts)IrishEyes
(3,275 posts)I have coins from all over the world as well as old coins from the US. I will be happy to add these coins to my collection when I get them.
calimary
(81,264 posts)You're not merely "in" the money, you're "ON" the money, dear Maya!
FABULOUS!!!
Pinback
(12,155 posts)Hi-res image of the proof version:
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)forgotmylogin
(7,528 posts)Sadly I don't use or handle coins much anymore, and it will probably take a while for them to appear in general circulation.
From the site there are more to come and the designs are visible:
Maya Angelou celebrated writer, performer, and social activist
Dr. Sally Ride physicist, astronaut, educator, and first American woman in space
Wilma Mankiller first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation
Nina Otero-Warren a leader in New Mexicos suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools
Anna May Wong first Chinese American film star in Hollywood
The Otero-Warren actually has Spanish on it ( "Voto para la Mujer" ) - that along with "mankiller" will probably drive the MAGAts insane.
Pinback
(12,155 posts)cbabe
(3,541 posts)Ps I write Harriet over Jackson face. Gentle reminder.
NJCher
(35,669 posts)Said this one.
peppertree
(21,635 posts)The only drawback being, that it's bound to become an instant collector's item - and therefore difficult to get.
Thanks for posting this, BRDS - complete with visuals. A work of art!
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)and I just got done putting in an order for a 100-coin bag (when available - scheduled for release February 7), to come right out of Philly's mint here (I specified that one so it will get the "P" stamp ).
I remember touring that mint when I was a kid where we could watch them making pennies (and we would get a bag of pennies at the end of the tour).
They are minting these from Philly's, San Francisco's and Denver's mints.
peppertree
(21,635 posts)Here's to quarters from heaven (like Bing Crosby's pennies - but adjusted for inflation).
riversedge
(70,217 posts)twodogsbarking
(9,749 posts)Well done.
The Wizard
(12,545 posts)knickers in a wad.
Javaman
(62,530 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)I remember Mnuchin killed it during that term but now that they are gone, they have to restart the process - but apparently they planned to design some additional elements in with the required anti-counterfeiting stuff, to include "tactile elements" (i.e., adding braille-like areas to identify the denominations for new paper currency issues), so that will be an interesting update -
When will Harriet Tubman be on the $20 bill? Family grows impatient
by: Ryan Bittan
Posted: Dec 29, 2021 / 03:45 PM MST / Updated: Dec 29, 2021 / 03:45 PM MST
(snip)
President Biden promised to accelerate the plan to replace Jackson on the $20 bill, and Representatives Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, and John Katko, R-N.Y., put forth a letter to the Biden administration asking for an accelerated timeline on the issue, but nothing has developed further. The slow process has been particularly frustrating given that Biden was largely supported by women and people of color in his effort to become president.
The process, however, is more difficult than may be initially perceived by the public, as new currency has to be outfitted with world-class anti-counterfeit traits. Additionally, the American Council of the Blind successfully sued the Treasury Department in 2002, demanding that the department includes a tactile signifier, similar to Braille, for the blind and visually impaired. A federal judge agreed, and the decision was made to include such an element in the next revision of the U.S. currency.
https://www.abc4.com/news/when-will-harriet-tubman-be-on-the-20-bill-family-grows-impatient/
Javaman
(62,530 posts)twodogsbarking
(9,749 posts)That didn't seem worded properly.
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)since Yahoo apparently links to the same-subject articles from a number of other sites (like the "portal" type of site that they always were from the beginning).
One of their own "internal" articles is here -
Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman to appear on the U.S. quarter
David Artavia
Mon, January 10, 2022, 6:41 PM·6 min read
If youre running low on your quarter stash, now might be the coolest time to head to the bank to stock up.
As announced by the U.S. Mint last fall, five pioneering American women will appear on the first run of the "American Women Quarters Program," featuring images of prominent women in American history on the back select quarters beginning this year.
The first quarter to go into circulation features the legendary poet, activist and author Maya Angelou, making her the first Black woman ever to appear on the coin.
(snip)
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/maya-angelou-first-black-woman-us-quarter-234148676.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
twodogsbarking
(9,749 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)In ancient Egypt, Mut was the mother goddess -
twodogsbarking
(9,749 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)twodogsbarking
(9,749 posts)milestogo
(16,829 posts)Didn't she get put on a coin that nobody ever uses?
It would be very hard to stop using the quarter, although coins are becoming obsolete.
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)(particularly parking kiosks) that used those and the Sacagewea ones. I still have a bunch.
Susan B. Anthony's came out in 1979 and Sacagewea's in 2000.
African Americans were the LAST ones with ANY depiction on a circulating coin - the first was Lewis & Clark's slave York on the Missouri state quarter (2003) -
And Washington D.C. had Duke Ellington on their quarter (2009) -
Response to BumRushDaShow (Original post)
traitorsgalore This message was self-deleted by its author.
BumRushDaShow
(128,977 posts)but the design, IMHO, also invokes her other famous work - the poem - "And Still I Rise".
Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #34)
traitorsgalore This message was self-deleted by its author.