The image of the legendary singer Celia Cruz is now depicted on a U.S. quarter. Widely known as the Queen of Salsa, the late Cuban artist was chosen along with four other exemplary women from history to be featured on the U.S. quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program this year. She also makes history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the coin.
“Celia received so many accolades during her lifetime that it was hard to expect a greater honor than what she had already accumulated during her legendary career,” said Omer Pardillo-Cid, Cruz’s last artistic representative and the executor of her estate, in a press release. “But to have been honored by the U.S. Mint in this way is something that would have surprised her greatly since she was a simple and humble woman.”
Celebrated for her iconic shout “¡Azúcar!” — a phrase also inscribed on the coin — Cruz is acknowledged as a cultural symbol and an influential vocalist in history, boasting nearly 40 albums. On the U.S. quarter, she is depicted in her customary Cuban attire, captured with her characteristic vivacity.
The U.S. Mint’s other 2024 honorees are Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a women’s rights advocate and Civil War era surgeon; poet, activist, and lawyer Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray; and Native American writer, composer, educator and political activist Zitkala-Ša. The four-year American Women Quarters Program “celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States,” states the official website, which also sells the coins individually and as a set.
“All of the women honored have unique accomplishments that have significantly impacted the history of our nation,” said Ventris C. Gibson, director of the Mint, in a press release.
Pardillo-Cid also announced that starting on Aug. 19, Leon Medical Centers in South Florida will distribute the commemorative Celia Cruz coin in special packaging. The centers are located in Miami-Dade County, home to nearly two million Hispanics, mostly Cubans. “This recognition is a source of enormous pride for all Cubans and for all Hispanics in general,” said Benjamín León Jr., president and founder of Leon Medical Centers, in a press release.
For each year commencing in 2022 and running through 2025, the U.S. Mint will issue five new reverse designs; the head side of the coin will still feature George Washington, but with a slightly different design from the previous quarter program.
See the Mint’s celebration of the coin below:
