Celia Cruz Coin to Enter Circulation in the U.S. This August

The coin featuring the image of iconic Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1925-2003) will officially start circulating in the United States from August 12, as part of the American Women Quarters 2024 program, which honors five distinguished female figures from the nation. The launch of the coin, bearing the smiling face of the "Guarachera de Cuba" and the inscription of her famous expression "¡Azúcar!" in Spanish, will be marked by a ceremony currently in preparation, confirmed the U.S. Mint (US-MINT), a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, to the digital site Café Fuerte.

Celia Cruz will be the fourth female figure honored this year by the American Women Quarters program, which will circulate 500 million quarters (approximately $125 million), though this number could increase based on demand. The "Queen of Salsa," who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1977, is the first Afro-Latina to be immortalized on a U.S. coin.

While the circulation of this special coin won't commence until mid-August, collectors can already purchase a proof set featuring all five coins issued this year, said U.S. Mint spokesperson Brent Thacker to Café Fuerte. The institution's website offers three set options priced at $23, $35 (double set), and $80 (silver edition). Rolls and bags of the coins will be available online starting August 19. Shipments will be made only to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Thacker added that no upper limit has been set on the issuance of coins beyond the 500 million allocated to each recognized figure. Based on demand, the U.S. Mint will mint the number of quarters requested by the Federal Reserve Bank (BRF).

"Celia's coin will be an item of exceptional numismatic and cultural value for her admirers in the United States and worldwide, including those in Cuba, where the announcement has generated interest and admiration," noted journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla. "For fans of the 'Guarachera de Cuba,' this news emerges at a moment of special significance and presence of her musical legacy around the world, on the eve of celebrating her centenary next year."

Celia Cruz, one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century, was born in Havana on October 21, 1925. She went into exile in 1960, and her music was banned by the Cuban regime. However, Cubans on the island defied the censorship and continued to listen to her in private. Among the numerous accolades awarded to the Cuban artist are three American Grammy Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, and the Presidential Medal of the Arts.