The Celia Cruz Quarter is a 2024 American Women Quarters Program issue and the 14th coin in the series. Celia Caridad Cruz Alfonso is universally hailed as the “Queen of Salsa ” and became the first Afro-Latina pictured on U.S. currency when her quarter entered Federal Reserve channels on August 5, 2024.
Design & Designer
Obverse
Laura Gardin Fraser’s portrait of George Washington commemorating the 200th anniversary of his birth continues on the obverse as it has for the series.
Reverse
A scene finds Cruz singing with her eyes closed, left arm extended, and right hand gripping a microphone. Her name is found at the bottom of the portrait, while an exuberant cry of “¡AZÚCAR!” sweeps to her right. Standard inscriptions like “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR” encircle the rim.
Designer
Phebe Hemphill designed the obverse of the quarter. Hemphill began research in 2023 by screening archival footage, interviewing Cruz’s manager, and consulting curators at the Smithsonian Women’s and National Women’s History Museums. Design concepts advanced through Mint review, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and the Commission of Fine Arts before final approval by Cruz’s estate and the Treasury Secretary.
The American Women Quarters
The American Women Quarters program was authorized by legislation signed into law on January 13, 2021. The program’s provisions include the U.S. Mint releasing five quarter reverse designs each year from 2022 through 2025.
The Treasury Secretary selects honorees from public submissions in consultation with the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, the National Women’s History Museum, and the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. While George Washington’s portrait anchors each obverse, a different trailblazer graces every reverse in an approach that builds on the popular 50 State and America the Beautiful Quarter series while broadening representation.
Honorees included Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, Nina OteroWarren, and Anna May Wong in 2022. The 2023 series featured Bessie Coleman, Edith Kanaka‘ole, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jovita Idár, and Maria Tallchief. Pauli Murray, Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Celia Cruz, and ZitkalaŠa were the 2024 honorees. The 2025 lineup will feature Ida B. Wells, Juliette Gordon Low, and two honorees yet to be announced.
Biography of Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was born on October 21, 1925, in Havana’s Santos Suárez district. She had thirteen siblings, and her father, Simón, shoveled coal for the railway. A talent show victory with the tango “Nostalgia” convinced her to leave teacher training for the stage, and in 1950, she joined La Sonora Matancera as its first black lead singer and a fixture on Cuban radio and film.
After the 1959 revolution, Cruz settled in New York, began collaborating with Tito Puente, and later sang for Fania Records. Over her career, Cruz released 37 studio albums and many live sets. She sold more than ten million records, won two Grammies, and three Latin Grammy Awards. Her jubilant cry “¡Azúcar!” embodies AfroCuban pride and exile resilience.
Cruz’s passion for music continued to the end of her life and she performed until her death on July 16, 2003 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Museums, academic courses, and now a U.S. quarter celebrate her influence on music, culture, and representation.
Iconic Songs by Celia Cruz
- La Vida Es Un Carnaval
- Upbeat anthem of hope and resilience, a staple at celebrations
- Quimbara
- Vibrant salsa track displaying Cruz’s dynamic power
- Bemba Colorá
- Rumba condemning racism with an infectious hook
- Guantanamera
- Her rendition of the José Martí-inspired standard brought the song global fame
- La Negra Tiene Tumbao
- Salsa-reggaetón fusion showing Cruz’s openness to new sounds
- Usted Abusó
- Poignant duet with husband Pedro Knight highlighting their romance
- Toro Mata
- Energetic cut from the Celia & Johnny album showcasing Faniaera brilliance
- Cucula
- Salsa classic radiating her unmistakable sabor
- Tu Voz
- Romantic ballad illustrating emotional depth
- Yo Viviré
- Spanish language “I Will Survive,” a rallying cry of perseverance
Cultural Significance of the Quarter
The Celia Cruz American Women’s Quarter broadens the offering of the U.S. Mint by adding greater diversity that reflects its citizens to the face of its coinage. As the first Afro-Latina on a circulating American coin was the Queen of Salsa, the quarter was unveiled with live salsa performances at ceremonies in New York City and Washington, D.C.
The quarter fuses the precision of numismatic design with the vibrant rhythm of salsa. As collectors store rolls and fans slip a Cruz quarter into a wallet for luck, U.S. coinage proves it can mirror the full spectrum of American culture.
