Numismatic

2022-S Maya Angelou American Women Quarter BU

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This 2022 quarter dollar marks a significant moment in United States coinage, serving as an early release in the American Women Quarters Program. Running from 2022 to 2025, this initiative celebrates influential women by introducing up to five fresh reverse designs each year. This specific coin, struck at the San Francisco Mint and carrying the 'S' mint mark, is preserved in Gem Brilliant Uncirculated condition. The reverse of the coin presents a powerful visual tribute to Maya Angelou, depicting her with arms raised toward the sky, accompanied by a bird in mid-flight and a rising sun. This imagery honors a remarkable literary career that included writing 36 books, more than 30 of which became bestsellers. Angelou, who was an active member of the Harlem Writer's Guild, is perhaps best known for her landmark 1970 autobiography, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings". On the obverse, the coin displays a classic portrait of George Washington, originally sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser. Legible inscriptions on the coin include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, QUARTER DOLLAR, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the traditional motto IN GOD WE TRUST, alongside the name of the honoree, MAYA ANGELOU.