The four coins minted by the U.S. Treasury the Lincoln Penny, the Jefferson Nickel, the Roosevelt Dime, and the Washington Quarter all send a subliminal message to children that reinforce the status quo, Men, not women, become President. It is this pervasive and continual male dominant messaging that makes it hard for women to become partners in law firms, CEO’s and most importantly President of the United States. The glass ceiling is real and it is reinforced on a daily basis by our government’s branding.
In an effort to introduce women into the currency lineup, the United States Treasury introduced the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979. Production was suspended two years later due to poor public acceptance. The public thought the new dollar coin looked too much like a quarter. The Susan B. Anthony dollar was reintroduced for one year in 1999 before it was permanently suspended.
The second attempt of introducing a coin with a female image was the Sacagawea dollar also known as the golden dollar because of its bright golden color. It has been minted every year since 2000. It was not released for general circulation from 2002 to 2008 and again from 2012 onward due to its general unpopularity with the public. Although it is very hard to confuse the golden dollar with a quarter, the public refused to use it instead of the paper bills.
Dr. Lynette Long 