The honor belongs to Arsinoe II, a Ptolemaic queen of Egypt, who appeared on a coin in the third century B.C., says Ellen Feingold, curator of the National Numismatic Collection. Others have included:
- Queen Elizabeth I of England in the 16th century
- Indira Gandhi in the 1980s
- Maria Montessori in the 1990s, and
- Eva Perón and Marie Curie in this decade
Women have been far less commonly depicted on US. currency. The full roster:
- Pocahontas and Martha Washington appeared on bills in the 19th century;
- Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea appeared on dollar coins beginning in 1979 and 2000, respectively
- and Helen Keller appeared on a quarter issued in 2003
(Source: Smithsonian Magazine)
