Liberty Coin Service in Lansing’s Frandor Shopping Center wants to hear from people of all ages as to which 20 prominent American women deserve to be honored on the US Mint’s quarters that will be put into circulation starting in 2022 through the end of 2025. This new series of coins were part of The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 signed into law last month.
Said LCS CEO and owner Tom Coulson, “The legislation directs the Treasury Secretary to seek public input on the designs of these quarters. However, it only designates the Smithsonian Institution American Women’s History Initiative, National Women’s History Museum, and the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus as being involved in selecting which women to individually honor on these new coins. The US Mint’s press office said the possibility of receiving public suggestions on which women to recognize has not yet been addressed. Whether or not the US Mint seeks ideas from people, we know this would be an excellent educational opportunity for teachers to challenge the imaginations of their students. Every time the Mint has accepted public input on new coin themes and designs, they have received thousands of contributions.”
The guideline specified in the law for who might be selected to appear on these coins states, “The design on the reverse side of each quarter dollar issued under this subsection shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States, and may include contributions to the United States in a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and arts, and should honor women from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.“ The Mint has not yet formalized other guidelines such as a past requirement that any person to appear on US coins must be dead at least two years before a coin with their image could be issued.
Liberty Coin Service staff will be accepting suggestions from everyone at their store. The company will also be contacting schools and teachers to solicit student recommendations. All submissions will be tabulated and forwarded to either the US Mint and/or to the three organizations designated to help select the women to appear on these quarters. For more information, people are welcome to visit Liberty or call the company at 800-933-4720.
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Award-winning Liberty Coin Service, founded in 1971, is Michigan’s largest rare coin and precious metals dealership. This year it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in business. Liberty Coins, as it is known locally, has been located in Lansing’s Frandor Shopping Center since 1975.
Text of The Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which details this and several other forthcoming US coin design changes, is available at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1923/text.
