2023-S Edith Kanaka'ole, NIFC

The Not Intended For Circulation issue from San Francisco carries an uncirculated finish on a standard clad planchet and was sold directly by the United States Mint in 40-coin rolls and 100-coin bags through the AWQ subscription channel and one-off product listings. The reported figure of 829,526 reflects the maximum production authorization for the S-mint NIFC program for this design. Kanaka'ole's selection for the 2023 AWQ slate honored her work preserving Hawaiian chant and dance, her teaching at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and her co-founding of the foundation that bears her name and continues to publish her work decades after her death in 1979.

The S mintmark distinguishes this issue from the Philadelphia and Denver circulation strikes despite the matching uncirculated finish, and the satin texture across the field separates it from the high-mirror proof. Emily Damstra's reverse portrait and Renata Gordon's sculpting are unchanged from the proof, with the inscription E ho mau i ka 'ike running across the lower arc. The obverse adapts Laura Gardin Fraser's 1932 Washington portrait. Specifications match the standard clad: 91.67 percent copper and 8.33 percent nickel clad over a copper core, 5.67 grams, 24.3 millimeters, reeded edge. Authentication centers on the S mintmark style verified against the 2023 reference, the satin finish texture across the open field, and the absence of mirror polish that would suggest a proof substitution.

Original Mint roll and bag wrappers from 2023 still surface on the secondary market in original condition, and gem MS67 and MS68 grades from Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) anchor most type-set acquisitions. Original sealed Mint bags and rolls remain the most reliable source for certified gem examples, with sealing tags providing dealer-verified provenance for high-grade submissions across all major service holders. Read the full Washington Quarters (American Women) series history.