Sculpting the Ida B. Wells Quarter | 2025 American Women Quarters™ Program

Key Concepts

• Ida B. Wells Quarter Reverse Design
• Sculpting for Coin Scale
• American Women Quarters Program
• Capturing Likeness in Sculpture
• Emphasis of Features for Readability

Ida B. Wells Quarter Reverse Design

Phebe Hemphill, the sculptor behind the Ida B. Wells quarter reverse for 2025, details her approach to the design. The central element of the design features Ida B. Wells depicted in a "regal posture." Her hand is specifically placed "resting on the border of the coin." Hemphill expresses her excitement in attempting to "capture a nice likeness of Ida."

Sculpting for Coin Scale

Hemphill emphasizes the unique challenges and considerations of sculpting for coin scale. She states that while "the design is controlling the sculpt," the sculptor possesses the "ability to emphasize the features that would- would read at a small scale. At coin scale." This highlights the technical aspect of ensuring that key features remain discernible and impactful when rendered on a small metallic surface.

American Women Quarters Program

Hemphill conveys her positive experience with the broader "American Woman Quarter series." She expresses a hope that the resulting portrait of Ida B. Wells will be a "nice portrait."

Synthesis/Conclusion

Phebe Hemphill's account of sculpting the Ida B. Wells quarter reverse for 2025 focuses on the artistic and technical considerations of coin design. Her primary goal was to achieve a recognizable likeness of Ida B. Wells, depicted in a dignified pose with her hand on the coin's border. Hemphill highlights the crucial process of emphasizing features to ensure they are legible at the small scale of a coin, a key aspect of her work within the American Women Quarters Program.