Starting next Monday, the U.S. Mint will begin manufacturing a quarter with the head of actress Anna May Wong, making her the first Asian, Chinese-American to appear on U.S. currency.
Anna May Wong is considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, active in the 1920s during the silent film era, and died in 1961. She is seen as an unforgettable figure in Golden Age Hollywood, and her career as an actress was marked by racism and restrictions.
The coin with Anna May Wong’s head is from the U.S. Mint’s “American Women’s Quarter Project” and features George Washington on the obverse and a close-up of Anna May Wong with her chin in her hand on the reverse.
