Designs proposed for the five 2024 American Women quarter dollars were recommended March 1 by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The reverse designs recognize Cuban American entertainer Celia Cruz; Black civil rights activist, lawyer and Episcopal priest The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray; Japanese American legislator and civil rights activist Patsy Takemoto Mink; American Indian rights advocate, activist and author Zitkala-Ša; and Civil War-era surgeon and women’s rights advocate Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.

CCAC-recommended coin designs for Cruz and Zitkala-Ša are the same as those recommended Feb. 16 by the Commission of Fine Arts, and one Mink choice and the Walker coin recommendation are among those the CFA also chose.

Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz was a distinguished Cuban American artist who became an international superstar and cultural icon.

The design preferred by Cruz’s estate and recommended by both the CCAC and CFA reflects “a dynamic portrait of Celia Cruz flashing her dazzling smile while performing in a rumba style dress. Her signature catchphrase ‘¡AZÚCAR!’ [Spanish for Sugar] is inscribed on the right.”

The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray

According to the U.S. Mint’s design narratives, “Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray broke barriers as a staunch advocate for the rights of women and Black Americans who fought tirelessly for civil rights. As a poet, activist, lawyer, and priest, Murray was directly involved in, and helped articulate, the intellectual foundations of two of the most important social justice movements of the 20th century — specifically, women’s rights and civil rights.”

The CCAC-recommended design “is a portrait of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray’s eyeglass-framed face within the shape of the word HOPE, which is symbolic of Murray’s belief that significant societal reforms were possible when rooted in hope.”

Patsy Takemoto Mink

Patsy Takemoto Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, born and raised on the island of Maui in Hawaii, where she endured racial and gender discrimination.

The CCAC recommended two designs for the Mink coin. On one, Mink stands with her Title IX legislation in front of the U.S. Capitol Building. The additional inscription is EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN EDUCATION.

The second design choice portrays Mink seated, with the Capitol in the left field and the inscription EQUITY IN EDUCATION, the CFA’s choice.

Should Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen select the second preferred design, the CCAC suggests delimiters in the form of a hollowed out circle be added in between the border inscriptions.

Zitkala-Ša

Zitkala-Ša was an outspoken advocate, activist and author for American Indian rights, Zitkala-Ša (meaning “Red Bird”), also known as Gertrude Simmons, co-founded the National Council of American Indians to advocate on issues including education, economics, employment, health, religion and the right to vote. Her work directly led to the passage in 1924 of the Indian Citizenship Act.

The design that both the CFA and CCAC recommend features Zitkala-Ša with a determined expression, holding a book, which represents her literary interests.

A diamond pattern, a cardinal in flight, and a stylized sun are in the background.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

Dr. Walker was a Civil War-era surgeon and a women’s rights advocate

In 1863, Walker became the first woman U.S. Army surgeon as a “Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian)” with the 52nd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. President Andrew Johnson awarded Dr. Parker the Medal of Honor on Nov. 11, 1865.

The CCAC-recommended design is a close-up upper body portrait of Dr. Walker holding her surgical tool kit and wearing her Medal of Honor. A larger view of the Medal of Honor also occupies the left field.

The United States Mint’s American Women quarter dollars program features five coins per year placed into circulation, through 2025. The program began in 2022 with the first five coins.

It is designed to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments and contributions of remarkable women, although possibly little known to the public or not famous.

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