2022-S Sally Ride, Silver Proof

Sally Ride flew aboard Space Shuttle Challenger on STS-7 on June 18, 1983, the first American woman to reach orbit, and her physics background and later advocacy work through Sally Ride Science earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. The 2022-S silver proof issue of her American Women Quarters Program coin was struck in San Francisco in .999 fine silver, with a published mintage of 407,557 pieces. Distribution ran through the 2022 Silver Proof Set and the 2022 Silver Quarters Proof Set, both annual collector products. The silver proof is the lowest-mintage variant of all five Ride strikes, and the silver content was raised from the older 90% formula to .999 fine when the US Mint changed Silver Proof Set composition in 2019.

Silver proof specifications are 99.9% silver at 6.343 grams, 24.3 millimeters in diameter, with a reeded edge. The coin carries roughly 0.204 troy ounces of silver, which sets a floor under its value against silver spot. Elana Hagler's reverse, sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, shows Ride in profile aboard Challenger, looking through the Space Shuttle window at Earth's curve. Laura Gardin Fraser's Washington portrait appears on the obverse, with the S mintmark above the date. Authentication for the silver proof rests on three points: weight, since the silver planchet runs heavier than a clad proof of the same diameter; mirror field finish with frosted devices; and edge appearance, which is solid white on silver and shows the copper core stripe on clad. Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) note silver proof attribution clearly on their holder labels.

PR70 DCAM examples carry strong premiums driven by silver content and grader population, while PR69 DCAM coins remain accessible. Original Mint silver proof set packaging adds provenance for the highest-grade examples, and bullion-aware buyers value the .999 fine silver content as a price floor beyond the numismatic premium. For broader collecting strategy, see the Washington Quarters (American Women) series history.