Women’s Suffrage Centennial Silver Dollar
- Year of Issue: 2020
- Authorizing Legislation: Public Law 116-71
Background
The road to securing voting rights for women is paved with the efforts of countless suffrage activists who worked tirelessly for more than seven decades conducting over 900 local, state, and federal campaigns. Their extraordinary determination culminated in the ratification of the 19th Amendment (also known as “The Susan B. Anthony Amendment”) on August 26, 1920. It was the single largest extension of voting rights in United States history, enfranchising 27,000,000 American women in the United States.
The 2020 Women’s Suffrage Centennial Silver Dollar celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which profoundly changed our Nation.
Recipient Organization: Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative
A surcharge of $10 for each coin sold is authorized to be paid to the Smithsonian Institution’s American Women’s History Initiative for the purpose of:- collecting, studying, and establishing programs relating to women’s contributions to various fields and throughout different periods of history that have influenced the direction of the United States; and
- creating exhibitions and programs that recognize diverse perspectives on women’s history and contributions.
Commemorative Coin Surcharges
Commemorative coin programs are created by acts of Congress to honor a person, place, or event. Surcharges from the sales of these coins help fund a variety of organizations and projects that benefit the public. Commemorative coins are only available from the United States Mint for a limited time, as specified by public law.
Characteristics
The obverse (heads) design features overlapping profiles of three distinct women. Each woman is wearing a different type of hat to symbolize the many decades the suffrage movement spanned. The figure in the foreground is wearing a cloche hat with an art deco pattern and a button with the year of the 19th Amendment’s ratification.
The reverse (tails) design shows “2020” being dropped into a ballot box, styled with art deco elements to indicate the artistic style of the era. “VOTES FOR WOMEN” is inscribed inside a circle on the front of the box.
Obverse Inscriptions
- LIBERTY
- $1
- E PLURIBUS UNUM
Reverse Inscriptions
- VOTES FOR WOMEN
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- IN GOD WE TRUST
Mint and Mint Mark
Specifications
- Composition: 99.9% Silver
- Diameter: 1.500 inches
- Weight: 26.730 grams
- Mintage Limit: 400,000 across all product options
Artist Information
- Sculptor: Phebe Hemphill, Medallic Artist
- Designer: Christina Hess, Artistic Infusion Program