Lawmakers cheered the release of the new coin and credited Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, with the achievement.
Lee introduced the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, which passed in January 2021."The phenomenal women who shaped American history have gone unrecognized for too long, especially women of colour," Lee said in a tweet. "Proud to have led this bill to honour their legacies."
The American Mint said other coins in the series would be rolled out later in the year, all through to 2025. They encouraged the public to submit names of women they viewed as American icons.
The bureau is welcoming entries of women known for their work in civil rights, science, arts, among other areas, with an emphasis on women from ethnically, racially and geographically diverse backgrounds.
The main requirement being for the women to appear on the coins, they must be deceased.
Check out Stephen Letoo's beautiful new wife (video)