Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty National Monument)
An immigrant family approaching Ellis Island, a gateway toward a new life.
Ellis Island is a small island located at the mouth of New York Harbor, and it is protected as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. It is the place where the immigration inspection station that welcomed immigrants entering the United States stood for a long period.
On the reverse of the coin is engraved an immigrant family approaching Ellis Island by boat. In their gaze upon the island, holding their luggage, are contained both expectation and tension about a new life.
Countless people crossed the sea, passed through this island, and first set foot on American soil. That is why Ellis Island is called the ‘gateway into America,’ and it shows well the character of the nation of America, in which people from many countries blended together.
This historic place was added to the Statue of Liberty National Monument on May 11, 1965, and came to receive the nation’s protection. Today, many people come seeking to find their ancestors’ immigration records.
This coin from the ‘America the Beautiful’ series warmly honors the first steps of immigrants who sought to begin a new life in an unfamiliar land.