United States Mint Begins Shipping American Women Quarters Honoring Althea Gibson on October 20
Final Honoree in Four-Year Coin Program
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Mint (Mint) will begin shipping the 2025 American Women Quarters™ Program (AWQ) coins honoring Althea Gibson—the fifth quarter released in 2025 and the final coin for the entire program—on October 20. The Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver manufacture these circulating quarters.
“It is fitting that someone so talented in so many areas closes out our program,” said United States Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally. “Althea Gibson’s accomplishments reflect her tenacity and dedication to the pursuit of her dreams.”
Althea Gibson was a trailblazing multi-sport athlete who accomplished an impressive list of firsts throughout her career. Gibson was the first Black athlete to break the color barrier at the highest level in tennis, winning 11 Grand Slam titles by the end of the 1950s. She paved the way for future Black athletes and became the face of American achievement in international sports.
Designed by Artistic Infusion Program Designer Don Everhart and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon, the reverse (tails) design portrays Althea Gibson with a racket in one hand and a ball in the other while standing confidently by a net on a tennis court as if in preparation before playing a match. Inscriptions include “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “ALTHEA GIBSON,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” and “TRAILBLAZING CHAMPION.”
Each coin in this series features a common obverse (heads) design depicting a portrait of George Washington. Laura Gardin Fraser originally composed and sculpted this design 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 “2025.”
View an image of the Althea Gibson quarter reverse here.
“There were two features of the Althea Gibson quarter reverse that made it pleasantly challenging,” said Gordon. “The first was getting the net and racket detail visually accurate and legible at the tiny size of a quarter. The second (which was the greater of the two) was capturing the facial expression of Gibson, one that showed a joy and love of life, through the structure of her face, and the musculature around her eyes and smile.”
Authorized by Public Law 116-330, the American Women Quarters Program features coins with reverse (tails) designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of American women. Beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2025, the Mint is issuing five quarters in each of these years. The ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse group of individuals honored through this program reflects a wide range of accomplishments and fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts.
About the United States Mint
Congress created the Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.
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Sharon McPike United States Mint 202-354-7222 Sharon.McPike@usmint.treas.gov
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