United States Mint Begins Shipping 2024 American Women Quarters Honoring Zitkala-ša On October 21

US Mint - The United States Mint (Mint) will begin shipping the fifth coin in the 2024 American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program honoring Zitkala-Ša on October 21. The Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver manufacture these circulating quarters.


2024 American Women Quarters™ Honoring Zitkala-Ša Uncirculated

Zitkala-Ša (meaning "Red Bird"), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a writer, composer, educator, and political activist for Native Americans' right to United States citizenship and other civil rights they had long been denied. At age eight, she left her South Dakota home on the Yankton reservation to attend a boarding school run by white missionaries, where her native culture and traditions were prohibited.

"The fifth coin of the 2024 American Women Quarters Program celebrates the life and legacy of Zitkala-Ša," said the Honorable Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the Mint. "Zitkala-Ša was a gifted musician and violinist and collaborated on what is considered the first known American Indian opera. Premiering in Utah in 1913, The Sun Dance Opera was centered on the Sun Dance, a sacred, ceremonial dance that the U.S. government outlawed at the time. Zitkala-Ša felt the opera would be a powerful way to share her values with diverse audiences. Her writings and advocacy continue to have an impact today."


2024 American Women Quarters™ Honoring Zitkala-Ša Proof Reverse

The reverse (tails) depicts Zitkala-Ša in traditional Yankton Sioux dress. She is holding a book, which represents her work as an author and her successful activism for Native American rights. Behind her, a stylized sun represents her work on The Sun Dance Opera, while a cardinal symbolizes her name, which translates to "Red Bird." A Yankton Sioux-inspired diamond pattern sits underneath the sun.

Artist Infusion Program Designer Don Everhart designed the image, which Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon sculpted.

"The design features the effigy of Zitkala-Ša wearing her tribal regalia—the beads and intricate leather straps with metal elements made for a beautiful and challenging subject," said Gordon. "I stayed faithful to the design down to the most minute detail because much of the regalia is steeped in Native American symbolism and meaning. I loved participating in the legend that lives on, as my fellow engravers and I get to do with many of the subjects selected to be on U.S. coinage and medals."

Each coin in this series features a common obverse (heads) design depicting a portrait of George Washington. This design was originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of George Washington's birth. The inscriptions are "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "2024."



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