MIAMI – Celia Cruz is now on the back of a U.S. quarter, now worth more than 25 cents in South Florida.
“The Queen of Salsa” has earned a special place in history. Celia Cruz is one of five honorees to be selected for the 2024 American Women Quarters Program, now available for purchase.
On Monday, Local 10′s Annaliese Garcia went looking for the coins in Miami and had a cafecito at Latin Cafe with CEO Eric Castellanos, who got his hands on quite a few Celia Cruz quarters.
“As the son of Cuban parents, I grew up listening to Celia. A Cuban woman so influential to be on the back of a U.S. quarter,” said Castellanos.
Celia Cruz, also known as Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, died in 2003. Cruz was one of the 20th century’s most well-known Latin performers and won five Grammy Awards, a National Medal of Arts and a posthumous Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.
The Cuban icon has had her likeness engraved on a quarter in 2024 along with Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a Civil War era surgeon and abolitionist; Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to serve in Congress; Pauli Murray, a poet, lawyer and activist who fought against racial and sex discrimination; and Zitkala-Ša (meaning “Red Bird”), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, who was a political activist for Native Americans’ rights.
“As a Latin business owner, it’s important. Celia Cruz. It’s creating a moment from a regular transaction to a memorable experience. You come in, with a cash purchase of $50 or more, with your change, you get a special Celia Cruz coin,” said Castellanos.
At Santayana Jewelry, the team is getting innovative with the coins and is making pendants.
“They keep calling every day. And the word just keeps spreading,” said Elena Santayana, Santayana Jewelry.
Cuban family-owned Leon Medical Centers bought a hefty number of coins to give out to community members for free, by visiting this website.
“We felt compelled to and we’re proud of that and we partnered up with the Celia Cruz Estate,” said Benjamin Leon III, Executive Vice Chairman, Leon Medical Centers.
The coins are selling for about 50 cents each.
The U.S. Mint created the American Women Quarters program to feature women who have contributed to a variety of fields, including, but not limited to, suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and the arts.
The four-year program will issue five new designs each year from 2022 through 2025.
To shop for your coins, click on this link.