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Money in the United States usually features a historical figure. It wasn’t until 1979 that any real historical woman was featured in any type of U.S. currency. Here is a list of some of the women that have appeared on U.S. currency. Besides the ones mentioned in our list, the following women have been featured since 2022: Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka’ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, Maria Tallchief, Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Celia Cruz and Zitkala-Sa.
#1 Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony.
- Life : (1820–1906)
- Years Minted : 1979–1981, 1999
- Currency Type : Dollar Coin
Susan B. Anthony was the very first non-mythical woman portrayed in US Currency. She replaced President Dwight D. Eisenhower and appeared 200 years after the United States started featuring non-mythical figures on coins. Anthony is famous for being an icon of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
#2 Sacagawea
Sacagawea.
- Life : (1788–1812)
- Year Minted : 2000–2008
- Currency Type : Golden Dollar Coin
Sacagawea (aka Sacajawea) is featured carrying her infant, Jean Babtist in a back carrier. She is known for being Lewis and Clark’s expedition guide and interpreter as they explored from Mississippi to the Western Coast. Sacajawea was a Shoshone woman whose name means either “Bird Woman,” in Hidatsa or “Boat Launcher,” in Shoshone.
#3 Helen Keller
Helen Keller.
- Life : (1880–1968)
- Years Minted: 2003–Today
- Currency Type : Alabama State Quarter
Helen Keller appeared in the Alabama State Quarter. The quarter honors the State of Alabama, not Keller herself. She is featured on a rocking chair with a book on her lap. Helen Keller lost her vision and hearing when she was 19 months old. She was an author, educator, Co-founder of the ACLU, and an advocate.
#4 Liberty
Lady Liberty.
- Years Minted : 1793–Today
The representation of Liberty has been quintessential to US Currency. Sometimes portrayed by historical figures, Liberty is the only portrayal of an allegorical Goddess figure. She was featured on currency for over 230 years in 5 different versions including an Indigenous woman, and a Greco-Roman Goddess. She was first shown as an African American Woman in 2017 with a crown of stars.
#5 Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou.
- Life : (1928–2014)
- Years Minted : 2022–Today
- Currency : Quarter
Maya Angelou was a writer, dancer, actress, memoirist, and social activist. Her first autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” launched her into prominence. She is known for her seven autobiographies, books of poetry such as Still I Rise(1978), children’s books, and books of essays.
She was one of the very first Black women to write a screenplay that was made into a feature film. She performed in the T.V. and films. She received a Tony Award and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
#6 Dr. Sally Ride
Dr. Sally Ride.
- Life : (1951–2012)
- Years Minted : 2022–Present
- Currency : Quarter
Dr. Sally Ride was the first woman in space. She was aboard the Challenger on June 18, 1983. She also made history as being one of the two women astronauts on the same crew. She wrote 6 science books, and in 1995 won the American Institute of Physics’ Children’s Science Writing Award. In 2001 Dr. Ride founded the Sally Ride Science Organization, to decrease the gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). She was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, Aviation Hall of Fame, and National Women’s Hall of Fame.
#7 Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller.
- Life : (1945–2010)
- Years Minted: 2022–Today
- Currency : Quarter
Wilma Mankiller was the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. She was also an activist for women’s rights and Native American rights. She had a huge impact in the Cherokee Nation including founding the Community Development Department, creating community water systems, increasing employment and tribe enrollment rates, establishing children’s programs, and building health centers. She also led the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1998, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
#8 Nina Otero-Warren
Nina Otero-Warren.
- Life : (1881–1965)
- Years Minted: 2022–Today
- Currency : Quarter
Nina Otero-Warren is known for being the leader of the New Mexico Suffrage Movement. She incorporated Spanish into the movement to reach Hispanic audiences. She was also the first female Santa Fe Public Schools superintendent. She led lobbying to ratify the New Mexico 19th Amendment and was the first Hispanic woman to run for Congress.
#9 Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong.
- Life : (1905–1961)
- Years Minted: 2022–Today
- Currency : Quarter
Ana May Wong (Wong Liu Tsong) was a Hollywood actress, International star, fashion icon, Asian American Film Representation Advocate, and television trailblazer. She was the first Chinese-American film star in Hollywood. Her career started in 1919 when she was an extra in “The Red Lantern,” at the age of 14. She acted in more than 60 films including silent and technicolor. For her part in “The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong in 1951, she was the first Asian American lead TV actor.
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