1986 liberty ellis island gateway to america coin

The reverse was designed by Sherl Joseph Winter. The inscriptions read “United States of America”, “A Nation of Immigrants”, “E Pluribus Unum”, and the denomination “Half Dollar”. The reverse of the coin features a family of immigrants witnessing a view of America from a pier or wharf at Ellis Island.

The inscriptions include “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and the date “1986”. The skyline is circa 1913, with an image of the Statue of Liberty in the foreground and a rising sun in the background. The obverse of the coin depicts a ship of immigrants entering New York Harbor. The half dollar was the first commemorative coin for this denomination struck in the copper nickel clad composition. The reverse inscriptions include “United States of America”, the famous words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”, the words “E Pluribus Unum”, and the denomination “One Dollar”. These words are engraved on a bronze plaque mounted inside the statue. The statue’s hand with a lit torch are depicted with the concluding words of Emma Lazarus’s poem The New Colossus. The reverse of the coin was designed by John Mercanti with assistance from Matthew Peloso. The inscriptions include “Liberty”, “Ellis Island”, “Gateway to America”, “In God We Trust”, and the date. 900 pure silver, the obverse of the silver dollar features a view of the Statue of Liberty with the main building of Ellis Island in the background. The $78 million in surcharges raised from the program was used to fund the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and the celebration of its centennial.

The 1986 Statue of Liberty Silver Dollar was issued along with a copper nickel clad half dollar to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty.

1986 liberty ellis island gateway to america coin