2025-D Ida B. Wells

Denver contributed 143,200,000 quarters to the Ida B. Wells issue, marking the lower of the two business strike mintages for the 2025 release. Wells, born in 1862 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, dedicated her career to investigative journalism, the anti-lynching movement, and suffrage advocacy. Her 1892 pamphlet "Southern Horrors" and her 1895 work "A Red Record" remain foundational documents in American journalism, presenting statistical analysis of racial violence at a time when most newspapers refused to report on it. She helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909 and continued organizing for civil rights and women's suffrage until her death in 1931. The Pulitzer Prize Board's 2020 Special Citation recognized her work nearly nine decades after her passing.

Christina Hess, working through the Artistic Infusion Program, is credited with the reverse design pending final verification, presenting Wells with newspapers, a pen, or a quill that refer to her investigative reporting. The obverse retains Laura Gardin Fraser's 1932 Washington portrait. Composition matches the standard clad format at 91.67 percent copper and 8.33 percent nickel bonded over a copper core, 5.67 grams in weight, 24.3 millimeters in diameter, with a reeded edge. Authentication of a Denver business strike rests on several diagnostics. Verify the D mintmark on the obverse just right of Washington's queue. Confirm the deeper strike characteristic of Denver dies, particularly on the central portrait. Inspect the field texture, which on Denver pieces typically shows the granular working die surface that distinguishes it from Philadelphia output.

Although circulated examples carry only face value, MS67 and MS68 pieces certified by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) draw premium interest, particularly from collectors building complete registry sets of the program. The closing year of the American Women run has reinforced demand across all 2025 issues. For complete program background, including legislative history and design selection procedure, see the Washington Quarters (American Women) series history.