The 25-cent dollar coin, the quarter, will bear the image of Celia Cruz

February 4, 2023

The United States Mint announced this week that Cuban singer Celia Cruz, the "Queen of Salsa" would be honored by the "American Women Quarters" program that recognizes the trajectory of outstanding women, with her image printed on 25-cent dollar coins.

According to a statement from the institution, Cruz was chosen for being "a Cuban-American singer, cultural icon and one of the most popular Latin artists of the twentieth century. Known as "The Queen of Salsa", Cruz's numerous honors and awards include five Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts and a posthumous Grammy for her lifetime achievement".

Ventris Gibson, director of the Mint, added that "all the women being honored have lived remarkable and multifaceted lives, and have had a significant impact on our nation in their unique way".

The selected women "were pioneers in change during their lives, without yielding to the status quo that was ordered during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, we continue connecting the United States through coins that are like small works of art in your pocket," Gibson said.

The United States recognizes Cuban Celia Cruz as one of the notable women in the country's history, and her image will be stamped on a 25-cent coin.
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The designs of these coins will be revealed in mid-2023 and will enter circulation in 2024. The "American Women Quarters" Program features coins with emblematic designs of the achievements and contributions of American women.

The program began in 2022 and will continue at least until 2025. The ethnically, racially and geographically diverse group of women honored with their image on the coins reflects a wide range of achievements and fields, including women's suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, the humanities, science and the arts.

In addition to Celia Cruz, other women honored on coins for 2024 are Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Pauli Murray and Zitkala-Ša. In total, the program will celebrate 20 American women through 2025. Among those presented in 2023 are Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka'ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idar and Maria Tallchief.