2022-S 25C Wilma Mankiller (Regular Strike)

2022-S Wilma Mankiller Quarter Uncirculated

In 2022, the United States Mint launched a series of quarter dollars honoring American women and their pivotal contributions to our nation's history. This initiative is the latest in a sequence of circulating commemorative programs that have transformed the nation’s most prominent coin into a rotating canvas for various national themes.

The United States Congress authorized the American Women Quarters Program via Public Law 116-330. The legislation mandates designs "emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States," spanning fields such as suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts, with a specific focus on honoring women from diverse ethnic, racial, and geographical backgrounds. From a numismatic perspective, the program has proven to be a resounding success.

The inaugural 2022 releases honored five trailblazers: Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong.

Beyond these historic honorees, the series also celebrates master sculptor Laura Gardin Fraser, whose obverse design was the unanimous favorite of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) during the 1931 Washington Quarter competition. Despite the CFA's recommendation, Treasury Secretary Andrew W. Mellon exercised his prerogative to overrule the experts, choosing John Flanagan’s design instead.

When the American Women Quarters series was conceived, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) advocated for Fraser’s portrait, viewing its selection as the correction of a 90-year-old injustice. While this marks the design's first appearance on a circulating coin, it was previously utilized on the 1999-W George Washington Commemorative $5 Gold Coin (Unc. #9777; Proof #99777).

Wilma Mankiller's Legacy of Leadership

Wilma Mankiller was born on November 18, 1945, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the capital of the Cherokee Nation. After her family relocated to California in 1956 due to a devastating drought, Mankiller became deeply involved in social activism, focusing on the civil rights of women and Indigenous peoples.

After returning to Oklahoma in 1976, Mankiller overcame significant personal health setbacks and political opposition—often rooted in sexism from within the tribal council—to focus on community development. In 1983, she was elected Deputy Chief. When Chief Ross Swimmer resigned in 1985 to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mankiller made history as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

During her ten-year tenure, the Cherokee Nation saw a population explosion (from 55,000 to 156,000 citizens) and a massive expansion of health centers and children’s programs. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998.

The Wilma Mankiller Quarter Release and Design

The uncirculated version of the 2022 Wilma Mankiller Quarter released on June 6, 2022. The coin was designed by Artist Infusion Program (AIP) artist Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.

The design depicts Mankiller facing right, wrapped in a traditional shawl. To her right is the seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation. Notably, the coin features the Cherokee language—the second time it has appeared on a U.S. coin, following the 2017 Sequoyah Native American Dollar (P, Pos A #623170).

At the launch ceremony, Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson noted, "Wilma Mankiller was a leader in the Cherokee Nation and a strong voice worldwide for social justice, Native people, and women."

Collecting the 2022-S Wilma Maniller Quarter Uncirculated

While the Philadelphia (P) and Denver (D) mints produced coins for general circulation, the San Francisco (S) mint struck 'business strike' versions exclusively for the numismatic market. These 'S' mint strikes were sold in rolls and bags at a premium. Because they were struck and packaged without protective handling, contact marks and abrasions are common.

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