US Mint ornament features astronaut Sally Ride quarter at its center

The U.S. Mint is launching a new collectible celebrating the first American woman to fly into space.

The Dr. Sally Ride American Women Quarters 2022 Ornament features the mint's earlier issued 25-cent coin honoring the late NASA astronaut's accomplishments. 

Set for release today (Aug. 26), the keepsake comes five months after the quarter depicting Ride entered circulation as the second of five American Women Quarter being released this year.

"Each ornament features the reverse (tails side) of the honoree's respective uncirculated quarter from the Philadelphia Mint, and is exquisitely designed and hand-crafted in solid brass with a rhodium finish," U.S. Mint officials wrote in an Aug. 19 press release announcing the ornaments' availability. "Included [...] is a certificate of authenticity signed by the mint director, along with a description of the ornament's design elements and a brief biography of the honoree."

The Sally Ride ornament showcases her American Women quarter at its center, set against a background depicting Earth's horizon as seen from orbit. Along the border are representations of Ride's American flag shoulder patch, the space shuttle orbiter, a book with a shuttle and planets emerging from its pages and the symbol for an atom.

The icons represent Ride's career, including her role as a physicist, an American astronaut, a shuttle mission specialist and an advocate for science education. The ornament's elements compliment the design of Ride's quarter, which depicts her during her first spaceflight, STS-7, in June 1983. The coin's artist was inspired by a quote from Ride: "But when I wasn't working, I was usually at a window looking down at Earth."

A banner along the bottom of the ornament displays Ride's name. At its top is the American Women Quarters Program logo.

"A matching ribbon is attached on top of each ornament for ease of display," the mint's release read.

Limited to 5,000 pieces, the Dr. Sally Ride American Women Quarters 2022 Ornament will retail for $30.95 each when sales begin at 12:00 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) on Friday. The ornament may be purchased from the mint's website, its sales centers in Denver and Philadelphia and from the mint's headquarters coin store in Washington, D.C.

The ornament is also available through the mint's product enrollment program, along with the other 2022 American Women Quarters Ornaments featuring poet Maya Angelou; Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation; Nina Otero-Warren, a leader in New Mexico's suffrage movement; and Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood.

"Makes the perfect gift for students, teachers, mentors or someone who inspires you," the mint's website reads.

The American Women Quarters Program celebrates women who have shaped U.S. history. Continuing through 2025, the mint will issue five new quarter dollar designs each year to honor prominent U.S. women who have made contributions in a variety of fields, including (but not limited to) suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space and the arts.

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