Over a year after the announcement that Celia Cruz would soon grace U.S. currency, her special edition quarters are finally here. Today (Aug. 9), the coins bearing her image officially went into circulation.
In February of last year, the U.S. Mint, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, revealed that Cruz was one of five honorees selected for the American Women Quarters Program. The late Cuban icon will also be making history as the first Afro-Latina to be featured in a U.S. quarter. According to the U.S. Mint, the women on the quarters are part of a “four-year program that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States.”
Cruz’s estate announced that quarters featuring her image have gone into circulation in the U.S. The back of the quarter features a drawing of the singer with a big smile, a microphone in her hand, and her signature “¡Azúcar!” catchphrase.
“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,” Omer Pardillo-Cid, the executor of Cruz’s estate, shared in a statement. “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. 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.”
Another way to acquire the Celia Cruz quarter is through the Leon Medical Centers in southern Florida. Fans can sign up now on the Celia Cruz at Leon website to register for updates on how to receive the coin at participating Leon Medical Centers.
Back in June, Loud And Live Studios produced the album Celia Cruz En Vivo: 100 Años De Azúcar, which featured previously unreleased recordings by the queen of salsa music.