In the 2022 quarters, there has been a major change to these coins. This change is on the front of the 2022 quarters, which is the portrait of George Washington. Previous quarters have had George Washington face to the left and now he faces the right.
The United States Mint is now releasing five new designs every year for the next four years. The original idea was to have 56 quarters to honor one woman from each state and territory. The reason behind this is because of the new series that came out, which is the American Women Quarters Program. This program contains a series of quarters featuring notable women in U.S. history to respect the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. According to the 116th Congress of the United States of America, “The design on the reverse side of each quarter dollar issued under this subsection shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States, and may include contributions to the United States in a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and arts, and should honor women from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.”
The first 2022 quarter in the American Women Quarters Program was released on January 3, 2022. Maya Angelou is on this quarter and the first Black woman to be featured on U.S. currency. She is on this coin because she was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. Maya was respected as a spokesperson for Black people and women, and her works are considered a defense of Black culture.
The second 2022 quarter in the American Women quarters program was released on March 22, 2022. Sally Ride is on this quarter and the first LGBTQ+ person to be featured on U.S. currency. She is on this quarter since she was the first American woman and the third woman to fly in space in 1983. On top of that, she was the youngest American astronaut to have flown in space at 32 years old. Sally was an American astronaut and physicist who joined NASA in 1989.
The third quarter in the American Women quarters program was released on June 6, 2022. Wilma Mankiller is on this quarter. She is on this quarter since she was the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and fought for Native American and women’s rights. She was a Native American (Cherokee Nation) activist, social worker, and community developer.
The fourth quarter in the American Women quarters program was released on August 15, 2022. Adelina Otero-Warren is on this quarter and the first Hispanic American on U.S. currency. She is on this quarter since she was the first Latina to run for Congress. She became one of New Mexico's first female government officials when she served as Santa Fe Superintendent of Instruction from 1917 to 1929. She ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican candidate for New Mexico in 1922. Adelina was a woman's suffragist, educator, and politician in the United States.
The fifth quarter in the American Women quarters program was released on October 25, 2022.
Anna May Wong is on this quarter and the first Asian-American on U.S. currency. She was an American actress and is considered to be the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood and the first Chinese-American actress to gain international recognition. Anna has been in silent film, sound film, television, stage, and radio.
Information:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1923/text/enr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Women_quarters#cite_note-2