Numismatic

2022-P Maya Angelou American Women Quarter MS-66 PCGS (FS)

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This twenty-five cent piece from 2022 represents the inaugural release in a multi-year initiative running from 2022 to 2025 that celebrates the achievements of prominent American women. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this particular specimen has earned a high certified grade of Mint State 66, highlighting its exceptional preservation and crisp details. The reverse of the coin pays tribute to the celebrated author, poet, and civil rights champion Maya Angelou. Her likeness is depicted alongside a bird soaring in flight and the rays of a rising sun, powerful visual elements that evoke her famous 1969 autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Angelou, who was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, is commemorated here in a design that captures her enduring spirit. On the obverse, the coin displays a classic portrait of George Washington, originally created by sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser to mark the bicentennial of his birth. This elegant depiction of the first president is accompanied by the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "LIBERTY," while the reverse displays "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," the denomination, and Angelou's name.