March 25, 2025 Story by: Publisher
PHILADELPHIA — The whirring machines of the U.S. Mint here are churning out millions of Ida B. Wells quarters, the final coin in a four-year program honoring notable American women. The coin, featuring the pioneering journalist and anti-lynching activist, enters circulation this year as part of the American Women Quarters Program.
Production supervisor Clayton Crotty said the Philadelphia mint, established in 1792, now produces over $187 in quarters every minute. About 350 million Ida B. Wells quarters are expected to be minted.
Ida B. Wells’ Legacy and Impact
Wells, an investigative journalist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, played a crucial role in exposing the brutal reality of lynching in America. Her efforts were posthumously recognized in 2020 when she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Beyond journalism, she advocated for a federal anti-lynching law—legislation that was only enacted in 2022, 91 years after her passing. She was also a strong proponent of desegregated schools and women’s voting rights.
Mint sculptor Phebe Hemphill, whose design wasn’t selected but who sculpted the winning design, described the challenge of capturing Wells’ essence in the coin’s small space. “That’s the main challenge in making a coin, is to get as much sculpture out of it as you can, given the constraint of that low relief,” she said.
Ida B. Wells’ great-grandson, Dan Duster, praised the coin’s intricate details, including a feather-shaped brooch representing her journalistic commitment. He said using the quarter is a way to honor his ancestor’s legacy of action. “When she sees a problem,” Duster said, “she would say, ‘Somebody needs to do something and I’m going to do it.'”
Elizabeth Babcock, director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, which helped curate the coin series, highlighted the program’s goal of showcasing diverse female contributions to American society. Before this program, Lady Liberty was the only woman commonly depicted on U.S. currency.
Mint worker Frank Perkins, a 50-year veteran, emphasized the historical significance of his work and the teamwork involved in the minting process.
The Ida B. Wells quarter concludes the American Women Quarters Program, leaving a lasting legacy celebrating the achievements of women throughout American history.
Before the introduction of this series, Lady Liberty was the only woman commonly depicted on U.S. coins. That changed with the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979 and the Sacagawea dollar in 2000. In 2021, Congress launched the American Women Quarters Program, honoring both widely known figures like Eleanor Roosevelt, Sally Ride, and Maya Angelou, as well as lesser-known but equally significant contributors.
As the American Women Quarters Program comes to an end, the Ida B. Wells Quarter stands as a lasting tribute to a pioneering journalist and activist who helped shape the fight for civil rights and justice.
Source: PBS
