Comparing the Value of the Anna May Wong Quarter with Other American Women Quarters
The American Women Quarters Program started in 2022, featuring five different designs every year until 2025.
The Anna May Wong quarter worth 2022 D became the fifth coin released during the first year of this famous series.
Evaluating its market price requires looking at other releases like those honoring Maya Angelou, Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, and Nina Otero-Warren.
Market Value of the Anna May Wong Coin
Most Anna May Wong quarters found in daily pocket change possess a value of exactly twenty-five cents.
The United States Mint produced these coins in massive quantities, ensuring enough money for the national economy.
Reaching a total production of over 400 million pieces, these coins satisfy collector demand easily while preventing any potential shortage.
Prices for used coins do not increase because metal surfaces quickly show scratches and signs of heavy wear.
Numismatists look for Mint State coins never used in stores keeping their original bright shine.
Even these shiny coins often sell for prices between one and five dollars without a professional grade.
High prices only exist for coins having perfect surfaces like MS-67 or MS-68, though finding such coins in regular shipments remains a difficult task for many people.
Comparison with the Maya Angelou Quarter
Maya Angelou appeared as the first woman featured in this program. Often the first releases of any series create high interest among the public potentially raising prices during the initial months.
However, the Angelou coin production also exceeded 400 million pieces. Comparing prices for standard coins from Philadelphia and Denver reveals almost no difference between the Wong and Angelou versions.
Both options cost face value when worn and around two or three dollars in perfect condition without professional grading.
One small difference involves people starting to collect Angelou coins earlier making it harder to find perfect examples in circulation today compared to later 2022 releases.
The Role of the San Francisco Mint in Pricing
Coins bearing the S mark come from the San Francisco Mint. Unlike the Philadelphia and Denver facilities, San Francisco creates coins mainly for special collector sets. This applies to Anna May Wong and every other participant in the program.
Proof coins having mirror-like surfaces and sharp details have much smaller production numbers than regular circulating coins.
Silver versions cost significantly more money because of the precious metal value and limited availability.
Three-coin sets including uncirculated samples from San Francisco sell for more than face value immediately after release.
Comparing a silver Anna May Wong quarter with a silver Sally Ride quarter shows nearly identical values ranging from 15 to 30 dollars.
These prices change depending on the current silver market and the condition of the original packaging, and can be checked individually with a coin identifier app.
The metal content and the collector status determine the price rather than the specific person shown on the back.
Name on the Quarter | Philadelphia (P) | Denver (D) | Total | Estimated Price (MS-65) |
Maya Angelou | 258,200,000 | 237,600,000 | 495.8 M | $2 - $4 |
Sally Ride | 278,000,000 | 275,200,000 | 553.2 M | $2 - $4 |
Wilma Mankiller | 304,400,000 | 296,800,000 | 601.2 M | $2 - $4 |
Nina Otero-Warren | 224,800,000 | 220,400,000 | 445.2 M | $3 - $5 |
Anna May Wong | 240,800,000 | 226,800,000 | 467.6 M | $2 - $4 |
These numbers show the Nina Otero-Warren coin having the lowest production in 2022. Having fewer coins makes it potentially rarer over many years compared to the Anna May Wong release, even though current price differences stay small.
Comparing with 2023 Releases
In 2023, the program continued featuring Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka’ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar, and Maria Tallchief.
Some people notice a trend showing slightly lower production numbers for certain releases compared to early 2022.
For example, 2023 coins sometimes seem harder to find in pocket change in specific states. If a 2023 coin ends up having a total production much lower than 400 million, it will cost more than the Anna May Wong quarter.
So far, data indicates the Mint maintains mass production keeping the value of most coins at their face value.
Mint Errors Affecting Prices
Finding mint errors represents the only way to get an expensive coin in this series. This rule applies to all releases in the program.
Double die images creating a blurry look on letters or numbers receive high interest from people collecting rare mistakes.
Missing design parts caused by grease filling the metal stamps can make a coin unique.
Die cracks leaving raised lines on the coin surface add value because they were not intended in the design.
No major repeating errors have been discovered for the Anna May Wong coin so far.
Unlike the "extra leaf" error found on older Wisconsin quarters, the Wong release seems like a "clean" issue without known expensive variations.
Finding a new error would immediately make a Wong quarter more valuable than any other coin in the American Women series lacking such mistakes.
Investment Considerations
Buying regular Anna May Wong quarters from circulation hoping for a price increase is not a good financial choice.
Because of the huge production, the price will not rise even after many decades since the number of surviving coins exceeds the number of collectors.
Investing money requires buying coins in special plastic holders with a grade of MS-68 or higher or buying Proof sets.
Comparing it with other coins in the series shows Anna May Wong sitting in the middle of the list for production volume.
Not being the rarest or the most common, its value remains mostly cultural.
Being the first American coin showing a person of Asian descent adds historical interest for many families.
The Condition Factor in Comparisons
When a collector compares an Anna May Wong coin with a Wilma Mankiller coin, they check for "bag marks" first.
These small dents happen when coins hit each other inside large bags at the mint.
The Anna May Wong design featuring a large face and thin fingers on the chin makes damage easy to see, especially with a coin identification app.
Having a scratched face makes a Wong coin lose its collector value faster than a Mankiller coin having a busier design with more small details.
This affects how many perfect coins exist on the market in the future.
Finding it difficult to keep a coin in perfect shape makes those rare perfect examples cost more over time.