Ellington is first black man on US coin

Jazz legend Duke Ellington is the first African American to appear on an American coin, the US Mint says in introducing the latest in its line of state-themed quarters.

The District of Columbia commemorative quarter showing Ellington playing the piano will be introduced by US Mint Director Ed Moy at a news conference on Tuesday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

Ellington won the honour by a vote of Washington residents, beating out abolitionist Frederick Douglas and astronomer Benjamin Banneker. Also on the coin is the phrase “justice for all.” The Mint rejected the first inscription choice of voters, which was “taxation without representation,” in protest of the District’s lack of voting representation in Congress.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington received 13 Grammy Awards and was a pioneer in jazz. He was born in the District and composed more than 3,000 songs, including the notable “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing,” a song that helped usher in the swing era of jazz.