American Women Quarters Series
Nina Otero-Warren Quarter
History, design, and collector guide
Nina Otero-Warren overview
Nina Otero-Warren, born Maria Adelina Isabel Emilia Otero, was a New Mexico suffragist, educator, and politician who led the state chapter of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage. Her work helped secure New Mexico’s ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Released August 15, 2022, her quarter made her the first Hispanic American honored on U.S. currency, recognizing decades of advocacy for women’s voting rights and public education in New Mexico.
Design and specifications
The reverse shows Otero-Warren alongside three yucca flowers, New Mexico’s state flower, with the Spanish language phrase ‘Voto para la mujer,’ meaning ‘Vote for women,’ inscribed beside her portrait.
The bilingual design reflects Otero-Warren’s own campaign strategy, which included printing suffrage materials in both English and Spanish to reach New Mexico’s Hispanic communities.
- Reverse sculptor: Craig Campbell
- Reverse designer (Artistic Infusion Program): Chris Costello
- Release date: August 15, 2022
- Composition (standard clad): 91.67% copper, 8.33% nickel
- Composition (silver proof): 99.9% silver
- Diameter: 24.26 mm, edge: 119 reeds
- Obverse: George Washington, designed by Laura Gardin Fraser
Mintage figures
Mintage by mint, all figures from official U.S. Mint production reports.
- Philadelphia (no mintmark): 225,000,000
- Denver (D): 219,200,000
- San Francisco proof (S): 305,560
- Total mintage: 444,505,560
At about 444.5 million coins, the Otero-Warren quarter had the lowest total mintage among the five 2022 releases, though it is still common in circulation today.
Why Nina Otero-Warren was chosen
Otero-Warren was selected for her leadership in New Mexico’s suffrage movement, where she organized bilingual campaigns that helped bring Hispanic and Native American women into the voting rights push at a time when many suffrage efforts overlooked them.
She later became the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools and ran for Congress in 1922, one of the first Hispanic women to seek federal office in the United States.
Collecting the Nina Otero-Warren quarter
Circulated Otero-Warren quarters are worth face value. Although it has the smallest mintage of the 2022 designs, more than 444 million coins is still a large number, so there is no real scarcity premium for typical circulated examples.
The silver proof version remains the main option for collectors wanting something beyond a standard clad coin, alongside high grade Mint State examples sought by series completionists.
5 fun facts about the Nina Otero-Warren quarter
- Nina Otero-Warren is the first Hispanic American honored on U.S. currency.
- She led New Mexico’s chapter of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage during the fight for the 19th Amendment.
- Her quarter includes the Spanish phrase ‘Voto para la mujer,’ meaning ‘Vote for women.’
- She became the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools.
- In 1922, Otero-Warren ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the first Hispanic women to seek federal office.
5 common FAQs about the Nina Otero-Warren quarter
- Is a Nina Otero-Warren quarter worth anything?
Circulated coins are worth face value. With about 444.5 million struck, it is the lowest mintage of the 2022 designs but still common. - Why was Nina Otero-Warren chosen for a quarter?
She was honored for leading New Mexico’s suffrage movement with bilingual outreach and for becoming the first Hispanic American featured on U.S. currency. - What flower appears on the Nina Otero-Warren quarter?
The yucca flower, New Mexico’s state flower, appears three times beside her portrait. - What does ‘Voto para la mujer’ mean?
It is Spanish for ‘Vote for women,’ reflecting the bilingual suffrage materials Otero-Warren distributed in New Mexico. - When was the Otero-Warren quarter released?
It entered circulation on August 15, 2022, the fourth coin in the American Women Quarters Program.
3 quiz questions about the Nina Otero-Warren quarter
- What is Nina Otero-Warren’s historic distinction on U.S. currency?
A) First Native American woman
B) First Hispanic American
C) First Asian American
D) First naturalized citizen - What Spanish phrase appears on her quarter?
A) Viva la mujer
B) Voto para la mujer
C) Igualdad para todos
D) Adelante mujeres - Which 2022 quarter had the lowest total mintage?
A) Maya Angelou
B) Wilma Mankiller
C) Nina Otero-Warren
D) Anna May Wong
Nina Otero-Warren Quarter, Takeaway
The Nina Otero-Warren quarter, released in August 2022, honors New Mexico’s leading suffragist and the first Hispanic American featured on U.S. currency. It has the smallest mintage of the 2022 lineup at roughly 444.5 million coins, though that is still plenty to keep circulated examples at face value.