Release date of New York State Quarter: January 02, 2001.
The New York quarter, the first quarter of the 2001 series, features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of the state along with the inscription "Gateway to Freedom." Also incorporated into the state outline is a line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal.
This final New York design celebrates the "Empire State" as a point of entry for millions of immigrants seeking the political freedom and democracy that American citizenship provides. President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, on behalf of the United States on October 28, 1886. Lady Liberty was designated a National Monument on October 15, 1924 and underwent extensive restoration for her remarkable centennial on July 4, 1986. Governor George E. Pataki asked the United States Mint to add the line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal because of the vital developmental role of the waterways.
 | | The New York quarter features the Statue of Liberty, the state outline, the words, "Gateway to Freedom", and 11 stars representing the number of states when it entered the union. United States Mint image. |
Governor Pataki's office requested design ideas from the residents of New York and received hundreds of suggestions from school children, history buffs, graphic artists and coin collectors across the state. On June 19, 2000, Governor Pataki unveiled five candidate designs. They included Henry Hudson and his ship, the Half Moon; a rendering of the historic painting, "Battle of Saratoga"; the Statue of Liberty; and the New York Federal Building.
New Yorkers were encouraged to write or email Pataki's office to vote for their favorite design. Capturing 76% of the vote, the Statue of Liberty design was officially selected by Governor Pataki to adorn the reverse of the New York quarter.
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