Numismatic

2022-P Maya Angelou American Women Quarter BU

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In 2022, the United States Mint embarked on a multi-year initiative running from 2022 to 2025 to celebrate the achievements of prominent female figures who shaped the nation's history. Up to five distinct reverse designs are released each year. This brilliant uncirculated twenty-five cent piece, struck at the Philadelphia Mint and bearing the 'P' mint mark, stands as a premier entry in this landmark series. The reverse of the coin honors the celebrated author Maya Angelou, a member of the Harlem Writer's Guild who penned thirty-six books, including her famous 1970 autobiography 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'. The artistic composition depicts Angelou with her arms lifted, set against the symbolic imagery of a bird soaring in flight and the rays of a rising sun. Her name, 'MAYA ANGELOU', is clearly inscribed alongside the national motto 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' and the name of the issuing country. On the obverse, the coin displays a right-facing portrait of George Washington. This particular likeness was sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser, whose initials 'LGF' appear on the design. Accompanying the presidential portrait are the inscriptions 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', 'IN GOD WE TRUST', 'QUARTER DOLLAR', and the 2022 year of issue.