U.S. Mint releases design for Patsy Mink commemorative quarter
The U.S. Mint today revealed the designs for the 2024 commemorative quarters honoring Hawaii trailblazer Patsy Takemoto Mink and four other American women.
Mink, who died in 2002, was the first woman of color to serve in Congress and championed gender and racial equality, affordable child care and environmental protection. She was a lead author of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools and education programs that receive federal funding.
The 2024 Mink quarter was designed by Beth Zaiken and sculpted by John P. McGraw. The reverse, or tails, side of the coin depicts the congresswoman, wearing a lei to represent her home state, holding her landmark Title IX legislation. In the background, a view of the U.S. Capitol Building prominently features the south wing, home to the U.S. House of Representatives, where Mink served in Congress for 24 years.
Included in the inscriptions are her name and “Equal opportunity in education.”
In addition to Mink, the 2024 coins recognize the achievements of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, a poet, writer, activist, lawyer and Episcopal priest; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War-era surgeon and Medal of Honor winner who advocated for women’s rights; Celia Cruz, the Cuban-American singer, cultural icon and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century; and Zitkala-Sa, a Yankton Sioux author, composer and activist for Native American rights.
Mink is the second Hawaii woman to be selected by the four-year American Women Quarters Program, which began in 2022 and is issuing five quarters annually. Edith Kanaka‘ole, a kumu hula, composer and educator devoted to the preservation and perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture, is featured on a 2023 commemorative quarter.
The Mint did not announce when the 2024 quarters will be available for purchase. Once available, orders will be accepted at catalog.usmint.gov/.