The U.S. Mint on Wednesday unveiled a
design for a quarter that will feature astronaut Dr. Sally Ride,
making her the first out LGBT person to be honored on a U.S. coin.
The upcoming coin is part of a set of
quarters that will feature female trailblazers from American history.
The Mint's American Women Quarters
program will introduce five coins.
The coins will also feature the
achievements of poet Maya Angelou, actress Anna May Wong, suffragist
and politician Nina Otero-Warren, and Wilma Mankiller, the first
female chief of the Cherokee Nation.
"These inspiring coin designs tell
the stories of five extraordinary women whose contributions are
indelibly etched in American culture," said United States Mint
Acting Director Alison L. Doone in a statement. "Generations to
come will look at coins bearing these designs and be reminded of what
can be accomplished with vision, determination and a desire to
improve opportunities for all."
Ride, the first American woman in
space, passed away in 2012 at the age of 61 after losing a prolonged
battle with pancreatic cancer. She is survived by her partner of 27
years, Dr. Tam O'Shaughnessy.