American Women Quarters Series
Sally Ride Quarter
History, design, and collector guide
Sally Ride overview
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in June 1983, flying aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-7 at age 32. She later became a physicist, educator, and founder of Sally Ride Science, a program built to encourage young people, especially girls, toward careers in science and engineering.
Released March 22, 2022 as the second coin in the American Women Quarters Program, Ride’s quarter also made her the first LGBTQ+ person featured on U.S. currency, a fact confirmed publicly by her longtime partner Tam O’Shaughnessy.
Design and specifications
The reverse shows Ride positioned beside a Space Shuttle window with Earth visible in the background, evoking her own description of looking down at the planet during quiet moments between mission duties.
Ride is shown wearing a patch featuring an element she helped design for the STS-7 mission, marking her role as the first American woman in space.
- Reverse sculptor: Phebe Hemphill
- Reverse designer (Artistic Infusion Program): Elana Hagler
- Release date: March 22, 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): 275,200,000
- Denver (D): 278,000,000
- San Francisco proof (S): 304,120
- Total mintage: 553,504,120
At just over 553 million coins, the Ride quarter had one of the higher mintages of the 2022 releases, second only to Wilma Mankiller among that year’s five designs.
Why Sally Ride was chosen
Ride was chosen for breaking one of the most visible barriers in American public life, becoming the first American woman to travel to space. She flew on two Shuttle missions before leaving NASA and going on to teach physics at the University of California, San Diego.
Her selection for the series also marked a milestone beyond spaceflight. Ride became the first openly LGBTQ+ person honored on U.S. currency, a distinction that was widely reported when the design was unveiled at the 2021 Space Symposium.
Collecting the Sally Ride quarter
With more than 553 million struck across both mints, circulated Ride quarters are common and worth only face value in ordinary condition.
As with the rest of the series, the silver proof version and high grade Mint State coins are the only versions that regularly sell for more than twenty five cents, mostly to collectors filling out a complete American Women Quarters set.
5 fun facts about the Sally Ride quarter
- Sally Ride flew to space in June 1983 aboard Space Shuttle Challenger, becoming the first American woman in space at age 32.
- Her quarter design was unveiled at the 2021 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, a major gathering for the aerospace industry.
- Ride is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to appear on U.S. currency.
- After NASA, Ride founded Sally Ride Science to encourage young people, particularly girls, to pursue science and engineering.
- The patch shown on Ride’s uniform on the coin represents an element she helped design for her STS-7 mission.
5 common FAQs about the Sally Ride quarter
- Is a Sally Ride quarter worth anything?
Circulated coins are worth face value, twenty five cents. Over 553 million were struck, so they are common in pocket change and coin rolls. - Why was Sally Ride chosen for a quarter?
She was honored as the first American woman in space and the first openly LGBTQ+ person featured on U.S. currency. - When did Sally Ride go to space?
She flew aboard Space Shuttle Challenger in June 1983 on mission STS-7. - What is shown on the Sally Ride quarter?
Ride is shown beside a Space Shuttle window with Earth in the background, wearing a mission patch she helped design. - How many Sally Ride quarters were made?
About 553.5 million in total, combining Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco proof mintages.
3 quiz questions about the Sally Ride quarter
- What mission did Sally Ride fly on when she became the first American woman in space?
A) STS-1
B) STS-7
C) Apollo 11
D) Gemini 4 - Where was the Sally Ride quarter design unveiled?
A) Kennedy Space Center
B) The White House
C) The 2021 Space Symposium
D) A NASA press briefing - What organization did Sally Ride found after leaving NASA?
A) Girls Who Code
B) Sally Ride Science
C) NASA Academy
D) Women in Space Foundation
Sally Ride Quarter, Takeaway
The Sally Ride quarter, released in March 2022, honors the first American woman in space and the first openly LGBTQ+ person on U.S. currency. Like most of the series, circulated coins trade for face value, with the silver proof version the main option for collectors seeking something beyond a pocket change find.