The Quarter Dollar is a United States coin worth 25 cents. From its inception until 1964, the denomination was issued in silver; it underwent several design changes, including finally the silver Washington quarter (1932 - 1964) featuring the first President of the United States on the obverse and the American Eagle on the reverse, issued then until 1998 in copper-nickel. The U.S Mint then embarked on several long term projects: the State Quarters series of 50 coins featuring each State from 1999 to 2008; in 2009, a six-coin series represented the District of Columbia and five US territories, and then the America the Beautiful program (2010 - 2021). After a brief interlude with a Washington commemorative quarter, the U.S. Mint started the American Women Quarters program in 2022.
Running until 2025, the program honours five women on five reverse designs per year, selected for "contributions to the United States in a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and arts". The obverse depicts George Washington with a 1931 design by Laura Gardin Fraser.
The Jovita Idar Quarter is the ninth coin in the American Women Quarters Program; it was released on ? 2023.
Jovita Idar was a Mexican-American journalist, activist, teacher, and suffragist. She devoted her life to fighting against separatist ideologies and sought to create a better future for Mexican-Americans.
Idar was born on 7 September 1885, in Laredo, Texas. The daughter of a newspaper editor and a civil rights advocate, Idar was exposed to journalism and political activism at a very young age. Her ideas and practices were ahead of her time. She made it her mission to pursue civil rights for Mexican-Americans and believed education was the foundation for a better future. Idar wrote many news articles in various publications speaking out about racism and supporting the revolution in Mexico.
In 1911, she joined the First Mexicanist Congress in Laredo and organised Mexican-American activists. She and other women formed La Liga Femenil Mexicanista, or the League of Mexican Women, a political and charitable organisation that sought to empower Mexican-American women. Idar was chosen as its first president. Jovita Idar died in San Antonio, Texas on 18 June 1946. Throughout her life, she remained on the front lines of change and advocated fiercely for the rights of women and Mexican-Americans.
Jovita Idar Quarter Dollars issued in 2023 have now been in circulation for less than one year. |
Obverse | |
At its centre, the obverse of the coin shows the portrait of George Washington, the first President of the United States (1789 - 1797), facing right. He has long hair, falling down in a queue.
The designer's initials LGF (for Laura Gardin Fraser) are in relief on the neck truncation.
Around above, the inscription LIBERTY. In smaller letters on two lines below left, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.
Below right, the date of issue 2023, under which a small letter represents the mint mark.
Mint marks this year are D, P or S for Denver, Philadelphia or San Francisco mints respectively. |
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Reverse | |
The reverse design depicts a portrait of Jovita Idar with her hands clasped. On her dress are inscriptions representing her name, some of her greatest accomplishments and the newspapers for which she wrote:
MEXICAN AMERICAN RIGHTS, TEACHER, JOVITA IDAR, NURSE, EVOLUCIÓN, ASTREA, EL HERALDO CRISTIANO, LA CRUZ BLANCA, JOURNALIST, LA CRÓNICA, EL PROGRESO, LA LIGA FEMENIL MEXICANISTA.
The inscriptions also include the face value QUARTER DOLLAR, the national motto E PLURIBUS UNUM ("Out of many, one" - signifying unity in diversity), and the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The designer's initials JPM (for John P. McGraw) are also inscribed on the dress, on two lines below left. |
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