World-renowned poet and activist Maya Angelou, who died in 2014, has become the first Black woman to be featured on a United States quarter coin.
The 25-cent coin, which shows Angelou with outstretched arms, went into circulation on Monday.
The US Mint said the image of Angelou was “inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived”.
The US mint is planning to issue 20 quarters over four years honoring women and their achievements.
In a statement, they said they were honoured to celebrate American women.
“It is my honor to present our Nation’s first circulating coins dedicated to celebrating American women and their contributions to American history,” said Mint Deputy Director Ventris C. Gibson.
Other women set to appear on the coins include Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Wilma Mankiller, first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Nina Otero-Warren, a suffrage leader; and Anna May Wong, a Chinese-American film star.
Main Image; Republic World