Women on US Coins

Circulating Coins:

• Sacagewea on the dollar coin: 1999-Present
• Susan B. Anthony on the dollar coin: 1979-1981

Commemorative Coins:

• Queen Isabella of Spain on the Columbian Exposition Quarter Dollar: 1893
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver Silver Dollar: 1995
• Virginia Dare, with her mother Eleonor Dare, on the Roanoke Island, North Carolina Half Dollar: 1937

(Virginia Dare is mentioned by name on page 6 the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint for FY 1937. Other publications, such as R.S. Yeoman’s “Guide Book of United States Coins,” and Q. David Bowers’ “Commemorative Coins of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia,” have identified her mother as Eleonor Dare.) Although it could be argued that the mother and daughter images on the Roanoke coin don’t fall into the classical “portrait” category, all available evidence indicates that the image was meant to represent real people.

Therefore, four real women have been portrayed on U.S. coins in the history of the U.S. Mint.