The Singer Will Be the First Afro-Latina To Appear on U.S. Currency

The Celia Cruz Estate and its executor, Omer Pardillo-Cid, announced that the coin dedicated to the immortal Cuban singer Celia Cruz, one of the most beloved and outstanding artists of the 20th century, has officially entered circulation. Cruz was chosen as one of five exceptional women to be celebrated by the United States Mint’s American Women Quarters Program™ in 2025. The so-called Queen of Salsa, who passed away in 2003, appears on the coin in relief, dressed in traditional Cuban garb next to her motto ¡Azúcar!

The year 2025 marks the centennial of the birth of the legendary singer and this is just one of the many events that celebrate this historic date. In June of this year, a commemorative album called Celia Cruz En Vivo: 100 Años de Azúcar (Celia Cruz Live: 100 Years of Azúcar) produced by Loud And Live Studios and distributed by InnerCat, was the first of these events. The album, which contained never-released live recordings of the singer in concert in the mid-eighties, was released digitally and as a specially packaged vinyl, and became an instant collector’s item.

According to Ventris C. Gibson, Director of the Mint, “All of the women honored have unique accomplishments that have significantly impacted the history of our nation”

The American Women Quarters is a four-year program authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330) to celebrate the achievements and positive contributions of women in this nation. This year, Celia Cruz was chosen alongside Patsy Takemoto Mink, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Pauli Murray and Zitkala-Ša. It is the first time that an Afro-Latina has been honored in this way.

“Celia received so many accolades during her lifetime that it was hard to expect a greater honor than those she had already accumulated during her legendary career. 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,” said Omer Pardillo-Cid, Cruz’s last artistic representative and the executor of her estate. “The adjective ‘unique’ has been used a great deal, but I really can’t find another that is more correct to describe Celia Cruz. Unique and eternal.”

Celia Cruz was born in Havana, Cuba in 1925, and until her death in 2003, she took her music around the world spreading her distinctive flavor and joy in her wake. Her cultural footprint is huge. In the two decades since her death, the fame and affection for this emblematic artist has grown and continues to grow daily. Celia Cruz has become the most idolized Hispanic singer in history. The iconic singer, who received countless awards and recognitions during her lifetime, including three GRAMMY®s and four Latin GRAMMY®s, was immortalized by the United States Postal Service with a postage stamp bearing her image as part of the Latin Music Legends Forever series and was chosen by the North American magazine Rolling Stone® as one of the 200 best singers in history (number 18). Recently, her image was preserved by the toy manufacturer Mattel® in a Barbie® doll as part of the Inspiring Women series.