American Women Quarters Series
Wilma Mankiller Quarter
History, design, and collector guide
Wilma Mankiller overview
Wilma Mankiller served as the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, leading the tribe from 1985 to 1995. Under her leadership, the Cherokee Nation expanded health care, education, and economic development programs, and tribal enrollment more than doubled.
Released June 6, 2022, her quarter design was unveiled at an event held at the Cherokee National Capitol in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, with tribal leaders speaking to her legacy as the coin entered circulation.
Design and specifications
The reverse shows Mankiller wearing a shawl beside a seven pointed star representing the Cherokee Nation, with the words ‘Cherokee Nation’ rendered in the Cherokee syllabary.
- Reverse sculptor: Phebe Hemphill
- Reverse designer (Artistic Infusion Program): Benjamin Sowards
- Release date: June 6, 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): 310,000,000
- Denver (D): 296,800,000
- San Francisco proof (S): 304,640
- Total mintage: 607,104,640
At just over 607 million coins, the Mankiller quarter had the highest total mintage of any 2022 release and ranks among the higher mintage dates in the entire series.
Why Wilma Mankiller was chosen
Mankiller was chosen for transforming the Cherokee Nation’s government and services during a decade defined by growth and reform. Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. credited her with anchoring what later became the largest tribal health care system in the country.
Her selection also reflected her broader role as a national voice for tribal sovereignty and civil rights, work that continued well beyond her time in office through writing, public speaking, and advocacy.
Collecting the Wilma Mankiller quarter
With over 607 million struck, the Mankiller quarter is one of the easiest American Women Quarters to find in ordinary circulation and is worth only face value in typical condition.
Collectors building a complete set usually pursue the silver proof version rather than searching for circulated premiums, since the high mintage keeps values close to face for nearly every grade below Mint State.
5 fun facts about the Wilma Mankiller quarter
- Wilma Mankiller was the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, serving from 1985 to 1995.
- Her quarter design was revealed at a public event at the Cherokee National Capitol in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
- The reverse includes the words for Cherokee Nation written in the Cherokee syllabary alongside a seven pointed Cherokee Nation star.
- With over 607 million struck, the Mankiller quarter has the highest total mintage of the entire 2022 lineup.
- Tribal enrollment in the Cherokee Nation more than doubled during Mankiller’s decade in office.
5 common FAQs about the Wilma Mankiller quarter
- Is a Wilma Mankiller quarter worth anything?
Circulated coins are worth face value. Over 607 million were struck, making it one of the most common dates in the series. - Why was Wilma Mankiller chosen for a quarter?
She was honored as the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and for expanding health care, education, and economic programs during her decade in office. - What does the Cherokee syllabary text on the coin say?
It renders ‘Cherokee Nation’ in the Cherokee syllabary, the writing system developed by Sequoyah in the early 1800s. - When did the Wilma Mankiller quarter release?
It entered circulation on June 6, 2022, the third coin in the American Women Quarters Program. - How many Wilma Mankiller quarters were struck?
About 607.1 million combined across Philadelphia, Denver, and the San Francisco proof mintage.
3 quiz questions about the Wilma Mankiller quarter
- What position did Wilma Mankiller hold in the Cherokee Nation?
A) Treasurer
B) Principal Chief
C) Tribal Judge
D) Council Speaker - Where was the Mankiller quarter design unveiled?
A) The U.S. Capitol
B) The Cherokee National Capitol
C) The Smithsonian
D) A Tulsa city hall - Which 2022 quarter had the highest total mintage?
A) Maya Angelou
B) Sally Ride
C) Wilma Mankiller
D) Anna May Wong
Wilma Mankiller Quarter, Takeaway
The Wilma Mankiller quarter, released in June 2022, honors the first woman to lead the Cherokee Nation as Principal Chief. It is the highest mintage coin of the 2022 lineup, so circulated examples are easy to find and worth face value, with the silver proof version the main draw for series collectors.