Dr. Sally Ride Honored on first American Quarters to feature women
The United States Mint has begun shipping the first issue of coins in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program, authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020. The first honoree is Maya Angelou—noted writer, poet, performer, social activist, and teacher, whose autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings brought her to international prominence. Quarters featuring the first American woman in space, Sally Ride, are expected to begin circulating in February 2022. In 1983, Ride was aboard the shuttle Challenger for its six-day mission in space, making her the first American woman and, at 32, the youngest American in space at the time.
