Movie star Anna May Wong, who joined Hollywood during the silent film era, will become the first Asian American to appear on a U.S. coin.
The image of actress Wong, featuring her signature blunt bangs and delicate eyebrows, will be featured on the reverse side of the new 25-cent coin starting October 24, exactly one century after she landed her first leading role.
This is the fifth design in the American Women Quarters program, which aims to highlight pioneering women in their respective fields. The other four 25-cent coins—also produced this year—will honor poet and social activist Maya Angelou; the first American woman in space Sally Ride; Cherokee tribal leader Wilma Mankiller; and women’s suffrage activist Nina Otero-Warren. The last two women, along with Wong, were selected for minting based on public input.
Anna May Wong appeared in over 60 films. (Photo: CNN)
“These inspiring coins tell the stories of five extraordinary women with indelible contributions to American culture,” said Alison Doone, executive director of the Mint.
Regarded as the first Chinese American star in the film industry, Wong overcame widespread discrimination to build a career in film, theater, and radio. She starred alongside cinematic icons such as Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Laurence Olivier, and performed on stages in London and New York.
Born in Los Angeles, she began acting at the age of 14 and landed her first leading role in “The Toll Of The Sea” three years later, in 1922. She continued to appear in dozens of films but faced deep-rooted racism in Hollywood, often escaping stereotypical roles.
The coin design depicts the face of Asian American star Anna May Wong. (Photo: CNN).
She moved to Europe in the 1920s but later returned to the U.S. to create enduring works. Notably, the romantic film “Shanghai Express” brought Wong one of her most famous roles. The film featured Marlene Dietrich as a notorious gangster, while Wong played a first-class passenger who is taken hostage during a three-day train journey across China amid the Chinese Civil War.
Throughout her life, Anna May Wong advocated for better treatment of Asian American actors in Hollywood. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, just one year before her passing at the age of 56.
Her stylish persona also made her a fashion icon in America. Wong often blended traditional Chinese garments with the 1920s flapper style, adding unique touches. A biopic about the actress’s life is currently in production.
Coin designer Emily Damstra stated: “Many prominent actresses from the 1920s and 1930s were framed and displayed in movie theaters, so I think it’s fitting to honor Anna May Wong in this way.”
“Along with the hard work, determination, and talent that Anna May Wong brought to her craft, I believe that her face and expressions truly captivated movie audiences,” Damstra added.
By 2025, the American Women Quarters program will select five different women each year to feature on the reverse of the 25-cent coin. Next year’s designs will honor pilot Bessie Coleman, composer Edith Kanakaʻole, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, journalist and political activist Jovita Idar, and ballet dancer Maria Tallchief.
