2022-P 25C Wilma Mankiller MS65 Certification #45611560, PCGS #898427
Expert Comments
Charles Morgan
From 2022 through 2025, the United States Mint honored the accomplishments and contributions of prominent women in American history through the American Women Quarters Program. Authorized by Public Law 116-330, this initiative mandates designs "emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States," specifically honoring women from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds across various fields, from civil rights to science.
The program has been a spectacular success from a numismatic and cultural standpoint, reflecting a wide range of accomplishments through experimental and visionary designs. The initial five honorees for 2022 were Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong.
Wilma Mankiller: Biography and Service
Wilma Mankiller was born on November 18, 1945, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, to Cherokee parents. After a severe drought forced her family to relocate to California in 1956, they faced significant financial instability.
Following her high school graduation in 1963, Mankiller married and began a family. As a young mother, she became deeply involved in activism, participating in the anti-war movement and promoting civil rights for women and ethnic minorities. After divorcing in 1974, Mankiller remained in California, working on Indian issues for two years before returning to Oklahoma in 1976. There, she continued her education, worked in the tribal offices, and navigated several health setbacks. This adversity led her to embrace what she termed "a Cherokee approach to life."
Leading the Cherokee Nation
Mankiller focused heavily on tribal community development, successfully raising millions in grants to improve her community.
In 1983, she was elected Deputy Chief. Despite facing significant opposition and dismissiveness from male members of the tribal council due to her sex, she was re-elected in 1985. That same year, upon Chief Ross Swimmer's appointment as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Mankiller succeeded him, becoming the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Her highly successful tenure lasted two-and-a-half terms. She stepped down in 1995 due to health issues, leaving behind numerous initiatives that significantly benefited the Cherokee Nation.
Mankiller was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in 1998. She died in 2010 at the age of 64.
The Wilma Mankiller Quarter Design and Mintage
The Wilma Mankiller Quarter was the third coin issued in the 2022 American Women Quarters Program, released on June 6, 2022.
Design Features
The reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Benjamin Sowards and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Phebe Hemphill. The design prominently features Mankiller at the left, facing right, along with the seven-pointed star of the Cherokee Nation. Her title appears in both English and Cherokee language.
This issue marks the second use of the Cherokee language on a circulating U.S. coin, the first being the 2017 Native American Dollar honoring Sequoyah. (Cherokee also appears on the 2008 Code Talkers Cherokee Nation Congressional Gold Medal; 38mm Bronze version #917699).
Mintage and and Known Error Coins
Business strikes were produced at the Philadelphia (P), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S) Mints. P and D coins were released for general commercial circulation. S coins were produced strictly for the numismatic market and sold directly to collectors by the Mint at a premium.
Known Error: 2022-P Retained Cud
The Mint released numerous examples of the 2022-P Wilma Mankiller Quarter exhibiting a retained cud die break. This error is particularly common at the 12 o’clock position on the obverse.
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