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The coin featuring the iconic Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1925-2003) will officially circulate in the United States starting on August 12, as part of the 2024 American Women Quarters program, through which the government honors five distinguished female figures from the nation.
The launch of the coin featuring the smiling face of the Guarachera de Cuba, along with the Spanish inscription of her famous expression “¡Azúcar!”, will take place during a ceremony currently being organized, confirmed the U.S. Mint, part of the Department of the Treasury, to the digital site Café Fuerte.
Celia will be the fourth female figure recognized this year by the American Women Quarters program, which will put into circulation 500 million 25-cent coins (approximately $125 million), although that amount could increase depending on demand.
The Queen of Salsa, who became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1977, is the first Afro-Latin personality to have her image immortalized on a United States coin.
Although the circulation of the minted piece will not take place until mid-August, collectors can already purchase a test set featuring the five coins issued this year, said Brent Thacker, spokesperson for the Mint, to Café Fuerte.
On the institution's digital site, three set options are available for $23, $35 (double set), and $80 (silver edition). Rolls and bags with coins will go on sale online on August 19, according to the source. Shipments will only be made to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Thacker added that there is no limit set for the issuance of the coins in the program beyond the 500 million corresponding to each of the recognized figures. Depending on demand, the Mint will mint the number of 25-cent pieces requested by the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB).
“The coin featuring Celia will be a piece of exceptional numismatic and cultural value for her admirers in the United States and around the world, including within Cuba, where the announcement has generated interest and admiration,” notes journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla. “For the fans of the Guarachera of Cuba, this news comes at a moment of particular significance and visibility for her musical legacy around the globe, just ahead of the celebration of her centenary next year.”
Celia, one of the most popular Latina artists of the 20th century, was born in Havana on October 21, 1925. In 1960, she went into exile, and her music was banned from the media by the Castro regime. However, Cubans living on the island circumvented the censorship and continued to listen to her privately.
Among the numerous awards and honors bestowed upon the Cuban artist are three American Grammy Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Arts.
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