The AOL news headlines say that the U.S. Mint says that Duke Ellington appearing on the new Washington D.C quarter (latest in the state quarters series) is the first African- American to appears on a coin. Either the mint spokesman doesn't know his A$$ from his elbow or AOL is grievously misquoting. Both Booker T. Washington and George Wahington Carver were on commemorative halves back in the 50's, minted from 1946 to 1954. I so hate it when misinformation is spread like that.