New Stacey Park Milbern Quarter Enters Circulation: Collector’s Details

The United States Mint has begun shipping the Stacey Park Milbern Quarter as of August 11, 2025, marking a significant moment in American numismatic history. This coin is the fourth in the 2025 series of the American Women Quarters Program and the 19th overall, which celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of notable American women. Stacey Park Milbern, a visionary leader and powerful activist for disability justice, is the first Korean American to be featured on U.S. currency, making this quarter particularly special.

Stacey Park Milbern: A Champion for Disability Justice

Born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1987, Stacey Park Milbern (Korean name Park Ji-hye) dedicated her life to advocating for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. Diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy, she transformed her personal experiences into a powerful platform for change. Milbern co-founded the Disability Justice Movement, championing intersectional advocacy for disabled people of color, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ communities. Her work emphasized not only physical access but also social and economic equity.

Milbern’s influence extended to policy as well. She played a key role in passing a 2007 North Carolina law requiring disability history education in public high schools. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed her to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, where she provided valuable policy advice. Even during her battle with kidney cancer, she organized mask and supply distribution to vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Milbern’s untimely death on her 33rd birthday in 2020 was a profound loss to the disability rights movement.

Design and Symbolism of the Quarter

The Stacey Park Milbern Quarter is rich in symbolism, reflecting her life, work, and legacy.

Reverse Design: The reverse (tails) side of the coin depicts Milbern speaking to an audience. She is shown with one hand near her trach and her right hand facing palm up, a gesture meant to evoke a genuine exchange of ideas and the building of allyship. The inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “DISABILITY JUSTICE,” and “STACEY PARK MILBERN” encircle the image, affirming her legacy as a national leader in the fight for equity and justice. The reverse was designed by Elana Hagler, an Artistic Infusion Program Designer, and sculpted by Craig A. Campbell, a Mint Medallic Artist.
Obverse Design: The obverse (heads) features a portrait of George Washington, originally designed by Laura Gardin Fraser as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of Washington’s birth. The inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2025.”

The U.S. Mint describes the design as depicting her with “one hand near her trach while her right hand faces palm up, a gesture meant to evoke a genuine exchange of ideas and the building of allyship.”

Collector’s Details and Availability

The U.S. Mint is offering several options for collectors interested in acquiring the Stacey Park Milbern Quarter:

Two-Roll Sets: Containing 40 quarters each from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints.
Three-Roll Sets: Containing 40 quarters each from the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints.
100-Coin Bags: Containing 100 quarters from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint.

These coins are struck in circulation quality and are available for purchase through the U.S. Mint’s online catalog. The Mint facilities at Philadelphia and Denver manufacture these circulating quarters.

Numismatic Value and Collectibility

As a newly released coin, the Stacey Park Milbern Quarter’s numismatic value is still developing. While it is primarily intended for circulation, its significance as a commemorative coin honoring an important figure in American history makes it appealing to collectors.

Several factors influence the value of collectible coins:

Condition: Coins in uncirculated condition, with minimal wear and tear, are generally more valuable.
Mintage: The number of coins produced can affect their scarcity and value.
Errors: Coins with minting errors, such as doubled dies or off-center strikes, can be highly sought after by collectors.
Historical Significance: Coins that commemorate important events or figures often hold greater collector interest.

While the Stacey Park Milbern Quarter is unlikely to become a rare investment-grade coin, its historical and social significance may make it a valuable addition to collections focused on American women, disability rights, or Korean American history.

The American Women Quarters Program

The American Women Quarters Program, authorized by Public Law 116-330, is a four-year initiative (2022-2025) featuring coins with reverse designs emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of American women. The ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse group of individuals honored through this program reflects a wide range of accomplishments and fields, including suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts.

The 2025 quarters recognize:

Ida B. Wells – Investigative journalist, suffragist, and civil rights leader.
Juliette Gordon Low – Founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Dr. Vera Rubin – Pioneering astronomer known for groundbreaking work on galaxy rotation.
Stacey Park Milbern – Disability rights activist and co-founder of the disability justice movement.

Stacey Park Milbern’s Enduring Legacy

The release of the Stacey Park Milbern Quarter is a testament to her enduring legacy as a champion for disability justice. Her tireless advocacy reshaped the national conversation on disability rights, emphasizing the intersectionality of disability, race, gender, and class. By featuring Milbern on a widely circulated coin, the U.S. Mint honors her as a key figure in American social justice movements, reinforcing the nation’s commitment to recognizing and valuing the contributions of individuals with disabilities.

As collectors seek out this new quarter, they are not only acquiring a piece of numismatic history but also celebrating the life and work of a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to creating a more inclusive and equitable world.