In 2022, the U.S. Mint launched the American Women Quarters Program, a four-year initiative that will honor 20 trailblazing women on circulating quarters. This exciting new series debuted with the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter, a 25-cent coin commemorating the life and legacy of the celebrated author, poet, actress, and civil rights activist.
As the first African American woman featured on a U.S. quarter, the Maya Angelou coin is a historic first. But it‘s also a numismatic treasure in its own right, with collectors already clamoring for rare high-grade examples and error varieties. In this in-depth article, we‘ll explore what makes the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter so significant and offer expert advice on collecting this landmark coin.
The Phenomenal Woman on the Quarter
Maya Angelou‘s groundbreaking 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings established her as one of the most influential voices of the 20th century. But it was just one highlight in a remarkable life story defined by resilience, creativity, and tireless advocacy for equality.
Born Marguerite Annie Johnson in St. Louis in 1928, Angelou survived a traumatic childhood that included sexual abuse and racism. She found solace in literature and went on to become a singer, dancer, actress, playwright, director, and professor. Over her prolific career, Angelou published 36 books, including essays, poetry collections, and seven autobiographies that gave unprecedented visibility to the African American experience, especially from a female perspective.
Angelou was also a dedicated civil rights activist, working alongside leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X in the 1960s. In 1993, she became the first African American and first female poet to read her work at a U.S. presidential inauguration with "On the Pulse of Morning" at Bill Clinton‘s swearing-in. Angelou‘s words inspired millions worldwide until her death in 2014 at the age of 86.
Her towering contributions to American culture make Angelou an ideal choice to kick off the American Women quarter series. As Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, the original sponsor of the legislation behind the coin program, said: "Maya Angelou‘s writing and activism inspired countless Americans and her legacy helped fuel greater fairness and understanding across our nation. She is exactly the type of leader I had in mind when Senator Fischer, Representative Lee and I wrote our bipartisan legislation to create a series of quarters honoring the contributions of American women."
Poetic Inspiration: The Coin‘s Dynamic Design
The 2022 Maya Angelou quarter‘s reverse design, created by Emily Damstra and sculpted by Craig A. Campbell, beautifully translates the spirit of Angelou‘s work into a powerful visual. The portrait depicts Angelou with her arms uplifted, a pose recalling her iconic poem "Still I Rise." Wings spread gloriously behind her as the sun rises over her shoulder, evoking the poem‘s triumphant lines:
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I‘ll rise.
An excerpt from this verse is inscribed along the coin‘s lower border, making the Maya Angelou quarter the first U.S. coin to feature the words of the person depicted. Additional inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "MAYA ANGELOU," "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "QUARTER DOLLAR."
The obverse features the same right-facing profile of George Washington used on quarters since 1932, though in a restored version based on the original sculpture by Laura Gardin Fraser. The refresh sharpens details while remaining true to the iconic 1786 bust by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon on which the quarter portrait is based.
Pairing Angelou‘s dynamic pose with a classic image of the first U.S. president is a striking visual representation of the American Women quarter program‘s mission to honor women from diverse backgrounds who shaped the nation‘s past, present and future.
Mintage, Varieties and Errors
The Philadelphia and Denver Mints struck Maya Angelou quarters for circulation, with mintages of over 250 million each. The San Francisco Mint produced much smaller quantities of uncirculated business strike (mintage unknown but estimated around 300,000), clad proof (441,599) and 99.9% silver proof (338,270) coins for collectors.
Top Regular Strike Values by Mint and Grade
| Mint | MS65 | MS66 | MS67 | MS68 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-P | $5 | $15 | $75 | $150 |
| 2022-D | $5 | $15 | $100 | $175 |
| 2022-S | N/A | $35 | $150 | $350 |
Source: PCGS CoinFacts, July 2023
Among circulation strikes, 2022-D examples are marginally scarcer. But it‘s the low-mintage S-mint coins that command the strongest premiums, with pristine MS68 examples routinely selling for $350+ just a year after issue. 2022-S clad proofs graded a perfect Proof 70 Deep Cameo by PCGS or NGC retail for around $150, while top-pop 2022-S silver proofs reach $300+.
Notable Errors and Varieties
| Variety | Mint | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|
| "Drooling George" (Die gouge from chin) | P, D | $200-$300 |
| "Cold Sore" (Die chip on nose) | P, D | $100-$150 |
| "Nesting Bird" (Die gouges shaped like twigs on reverse) | P | $1,000-$3,000 |
With hundreds of millions struck, the Maya Angelou quarter is ripe for interesting errors. "Drooling George" coins with die gouges extending from Washington‘s face have become the most frequently encountered major variety, selling for $200-$300 raw. The dramatic "Nesting Bird" variety with twig-like gouges across the reverse is much rarer, with one of the few known examples realizing nearly $3,000 in a 2022 auction.
As more 2022 quarters get examined by eagle-eyed collectors, additional major errors like off-centers, double strikes, and planchet flaws are likely to surface. Cherrypicking a rare, valuable variety from pocket change is one of the great thrills in numismatics!
Expert Tips for Collecting Maya Angelou Quarters
As a lifelong collector who‘s bought and sold modern commemoratives for years, here are my top tips for building a meaningful collection of 2022 Maya Angelou quarters:
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Collect the series. The American Women program is one of the most significant developments in modern U.S. coinage. Assembling a complete 20-coin set from 2022-2025 is an achievable goal that will make a great addition to any numismatic portfolio. The Maya Angelou issue is the key first release.
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Be selective. With mintages in the millions, you can afford to be picky about quality. When buying raw coins, look for examples with full luster, minimal bagmarks, and sharp strike. For slabbed coins, focus on gems graded MS/Proof 66 and up by PCGS or NGC. These are likely to be the most liquid and desirable long-term.
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Consider silver and clad proofs. Mint State quarters are nice, but the ultra-reflective finish and frosty devices on proof coins really showcase Damstra‘s bold design. The 99.9% silver composition and lower mintage of the 2022-S silver proof make it a no-brainer for collectors. But the clad proofs are much more affordable and nearly as attractive in high grades.
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Hunt for errors. Major mistakes like the "Drooling George" and "Nesting Bird" coins hide in plain sight among the huge circulation mintage of Maya Angelou quarters. With a keen eye (or better yet, a magnifying glass), you could cherrypick a three- or four-figure rarity from ordinary pocket change or bank rolls. Hunting for varieties adds excitement and upside to set building.
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Buy the book before the coin. Anytime you‘re delving into a new collection area, it pays to do your homework. Reading detailed references on modern quarters like The Cherrypicker‘s Guide to Rare Die Varieties will help you understand what to look for and what to pay as you build your set.
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Don‘t delay. It‘s been less than two years since the first Maya Angelou quarters were minted, but top-pop examples are already ticking up in value. Gem-quality and significant error coins from 2022 will likely get scarcer and more expensive as the American Women series continues and more collectors discover it. Assembling a pristine set will never be cheaper than it is today.
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Think long-term. Newly issued commemorative coins tend to decline in value in their first few years of release before rebounding as their novelty wears off and they get absorbed into collections. I expect the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter to outperform that typical trajectory given the cultural significance of the American Women series and Angelou‘s iconic status. Wait to sell your set until at least 2026 after the program concludes, if not a decade or more, to maximize returns.
A Quarter for the Ages
As the curtain-raiser for the first U.S. coin series to exclusively depict women, the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter is destined to be remembered as a numismatic milestone. When the last coin in the series is minted in 2025, the Maya Angelou issue will endure as the coveted key date that launched a program celebrating women‘s pivotal role in shaping America.
But the coin‘s appeal goes beyond its first-in-series status. The inspiring design honoring an American literary icon, the multitude of low-mintage varieties, and the numerous rare errors already discovered make the Maya Angelou quarter a coin with broad appeal for collectors of all budgets and interests.
Whether you‘re a die-hard set builder laser-focused on registry-quality examples, a casual collector picking coins from circulation, or an error enthusiast hunting for exotic varieties, the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter offers compelling options. As the U.S. Mint continues to diversify the subjects and stories depicted on our coinage, this groundbreaking release is poised to find a place in numismatic history. Twenty years from now, I believe hobbyists will look back on the 2022 Maya Angelou quarter as the harbinger of an exciting new era in American coin design and collecting.
