“Liberty Enlightens the World” has been greeting all travelers arriving in New York Harbor for more than a hundred years, and is one of the world’s most famous monuments, a symbol of the United States.

History of the Statue of Liberty

Soon after the end of the American Civil War, the French scientist and writer Edouard de Laboulaye, who admired the ideas of the American system of statehood, came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a monument that personified the independence of the United States.

The idea was picked up by another Frenchman, Frederic Bartholdi (architect of the Statue of Liberty), who at that time was working on creating a sculpture of a woman with a torch in her hand. Already in 1870, the French sculptor made the first sketches of the monument, with which he sent to the USA for approval of the project. The project finds approval from the American side (including from Ulysses Grant, who was then President of the United States), and representatives of the two powers (France and the United States) decide to begin construction of a monument called “Freedom Enlightening the World.”

With mutual consent of the parties, it is decided that the monument will be a gift to the United States from France on the centenary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States - July 4, 1876. According to the agreement between the countries, the sculpture itself was to be designed by the French side, and the American side would work on the creation of the pedestal.

However, the construction of the monument lasted for 10 long years...

Hand with a torch

After starting work on the project, it becomes clear that there is a catastrophic lack of money to create the monument. On both sides of the ocean, the initiators of the project begin collecting funds for construction, and various charity events are organized.

In August 1876, Bartholdi was forced to bring part of the sculpture (a hand with a torch) to the USA, where the fragment was installed at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, and then in Madison Square. Visitors are charged a fee to visit the Torch Hand, but the proceeds are still not enough to complete the construction.

The US Congress refuses to allocate funds for the construction of the monument, citing the plight of American finances and the untimeliness of erecting an “allegorical” monument, while the country needs monuments to the heroes of the Civil War.

Young journalist Joseph Pulitzer comes to the rescue, launching a large-scale campaign in the press to raise funds for the monument. The journalist calls on Americans to unite, fiercely criticizes those who are indifferent, and promises to write about everyone who makes even a small donation. The campaign was a success and after a few months the required amount was collected.

The fragment returns to France, where Bartholdi begins to work hard on the project: by 1878, the sculptor had already completed the head of the sculpture, and in 1879, Gustave Eiffel was involved in the creation of the monument. It was this talented engineer who designed the steel frame of the statue and the spiral staircases leading to the crown. Bartholdi and his assistants produced 350 cladding parts that were supposed to fit onto the frame. The parts were made of copper, which is easy to cut and bend, which made it possible to “fit” the parts directly during the process of assembling the structure.

The figure of Liberty was hung by the French in 1884, after which the structure was dismantled, and all parts of the sculpture were transported by ship in June 1885 to the United States.
The American side also did not waste time: the pedestal of the statue, designed by Richard Hunt, began to be erected in 1883. With the consent of Congress and taking into account the wishes of Bartholdi, Fort Wood, which had the shape of an eleven-pointed star, and was located on Bedloe Island in the harbor, was chosen as the site for the installation of the statue.

In April 1986, the pedestal was completed and assembly of the complete monument structure began. Finally, on October 26, 1886, the inauguration of the Statue of Liberty took place: President Cleveland, after the parade, went to Bedloe Island, where, amid general rejoicing, he tore down the French flag covering the statue and proclaimed that “Liberty itself has chosen this place as its home!”

general description

Three kilometers from busy Manhattan, in the bay, the majestic Statue of Liberty greets all guests, travelers and citizens.

The monumental monument, 93 meters high, consists of the female figure itself (46 meters) and a concrete pedestal (47 meters). The female figure holds a torch in her right hand, and in her left hand she clutches a tablet on which the date of Independence Day of the United States is carved in Latin letters.

At the foot of the monument lies a broken chain, symbolizing the cast off of the shackles of slavery and the victory of democracy. The crown has windows symbolizing the rays of the sun and the precious stones of the earth. To get to the windows you need to climb 354 steps, and if you climb just to the top of the pedestal - 194 steps. There is an elevator inside the pedestal.

The total weight is over 200 tons (including the cement base, copper coating and steel frame), and the length of the Statue of Liberty is 93 meters (including the pedestal).

At the bottom of the pedestal there is a bronze plate with poems by Emma Lazarus, which appeared here in 1903. The poetess's words were written after a wave of pogroms that swept across Europe in the late 1880s, after which crowds of immigrants poured to the shores of America in the hope of finding a new homeland. The poems convey the idea of ​​the Statue of Liberty - the willingness to take under one’s roof all the outcasts and the disadvantaged, and the promise to give them freedom and equality on this shore.

The visit to Liberty Island and the Statue itself is free, but you can only get to it by water - on ferries and boats, where you will have to pay a certain amount for the trip. You can get to the Statue itself freely, but the number of visitors is strictly fixed. If you do not book a ticket in advance, your visit will be limited to a walk around the pedestal and a climb to the observation deck, where you can see the Statue from the inside through a special glass ceiling.

The Statue of Liberty is open to visitors all year round, but it is better to take a tour in the warm season - in winter, a boat trip will bring very dubious extreme pleasures due to the cold northern winds characteristic of this time of year.

Interesting Facts

The history of the Statue of Liberty is integral to the history of the United States itself, so it is accompanied by a lot of amazing and entertaining facts:

• The personification of the friendship of two peoples: French and American, which formed the basis for the creation of the monument, was happily forgotten over time. Now the Statue of Liberty is presented in the world exclusively as the main symbol of the United States, personifying the victory of democracy and the independence of the country.
• The seven rays emanating from the crown are the seven seas and continents of light, from which travelers sail to America, hoping to find refuge and a new homeland. This is a symbol of hope for all the persecuted, disadvantaged, a haven for sailors and refugees from all countries of the world.
• Initially, Bartholdi worked on creating a female figure with a torch in her hand to install it at the entrance to the Suez Canal - this project was never realized, but served as a prototype for another monument. The Statue of Liberty combines two images - the goddess of freedom ancient Rome Libertas and the symbol of Colombia.
• The characteristic green color of the statue is given by sheets of cladding made of copper. Initially, projects were proposed to clean the surface, but then they decided not to touch the skin that protects the statue from further destructive corrosion.
• Initially, the Statue of Liberty was supposed to be used as a lighthouse, but the lamps built into the structure were not very powerful. Having found no practical use for the Statue, the government's lighthouse department transferred the monument to the United States War Department in 1901. Already in 1933, the monument was transferred to the Department of the Service national parks USA.
• Bedloe Island, previously considered a slum area, significantly changed its status with the establishment of the monument, and in 1956 it was renamed Liberty Island, and 10 years later it was included in the United States National Register of Historic Places.
• For the 100th anniversary of the creation of the monument, a thorough reconstruction of the monument was carried out (sea spray and cold winds thoroughly spoiled the appearance of the Statue), initiated by President Reagan. This time, funds for reconstruction were raised among American citizens in the shortest possible time, and more than covered the two million dollars spent on repairs.
• Access to visitors has been closed several times since the installation of the Statue: from 1982 to 1986 (reconstruction), from September 2001 to the end of 2004 (due to the threat of terrorist attacks), and in October 2013 (during the government shutdown ).
• After the successful Normandy operation, the lights of the lighthouse on the statue broadcast the news of victory to the whole world in Morse code.

UNESCO included in the list World Heritage American statue in 1984, describing it as a symbol of peace, glorifying the power of the human spirit, the abolition of slavery, the victory of democracy and human rights.

The erected Statue of Liberty became at the beginning of the twentieth century the personification of independence, prosperity, and free life for many travelers who crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life.

Categories

• . And in 6 states there is not a single city where more than 99,999 people live. US cities can be called unique because they all differ from each other not only in climatic and historical indicators, but also because almost every city has its own individual ethnic composition. A large number of immigrants from all over the world created settlements and, settling in the United States, gave the existing culture their own flavor. It may be precisely because of this that not a single language has been officially approved in the United States, but the most common is English in the American style. Los Angeles is the 2nd largest city in the USA. The names of US cities are symbolic, but some may seem unusual to us, to put it mildly. For example, Big Ugly, which we will translate as “Big and Ugly.” And on the map of the USA there are as many as three cities bearing official name“Santa Claus.” Many other things may seem strange in US cities. For example, the fact that almost 1/3 of the cleaners, janitors and waiters here have a complete higher education, but they are not at all embarrassed about this kind of work. Or the fact that no one forbids minors from smoking by law, but it is strictly forbidden to sell them cigarettes. The world's first skyscraper, local TV channel, the first parking lot and traffic light system, the most high mountain and a large freshwater lake - all these are the advantages of different cities in the USA, so there are many reasons to visit each of them. 10 “most” cities in America You can’t argue that every city in the States is unique, but among them it is still possible to identify leaders according to certain criteria: the most Old city in the USA - St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565 in the state of Florida; The city, the largest in area, is Sitka. It occupies almost 7.5 square meters. km in the state of Alaska; the most a large number of The population lives in New York - more than 8 million people. But in this same city the strictest definition of the boundaries of each district is observed; the most populous cities are located in California; the very first city in which a cinema opened was Los Angeles, which happened in 1902; the city with the “lowest” buildings, that is, without the high-rise buildings familiar to America, is Washington. The height of each building, except the Capitol, does not exceed 40 m; the largest outflow of population was observed in the city of Detroit. In the middle of the 20th century, almost 2 million people lived in it, and today - less than 700 thousand. By the way, this is the city with the most intense criminal situation in the United States; the poorest city in the States is Allen, simply more than 95% of its population are Indians; the very first city to have electricity was Wabash, Indiana; The most “British” city in the USA is Byron. 5.3% of its residents were born in the UK. ">Cities 7
• and cultural-historical (were created by man in a relatively a little story development of this land. Miraculous wonders of American nature Times Square Of the many historical monuments, it is recommended to visit Times Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, Walt Disney Amusement Park, the Pentagon, the White House, the Empire State Building and, of course, the symbols of the USA - the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. Disneyland is the largest in world amusement park - located in Florida. It unites themed kingdoms, each of which houses a fairy tale for children and adults. The White House Times Square is an iconic place in New York. Just over 100 years ago, construction of the American subway began on this site. The square is named after the New York Times, the most widely read American newspaper, whose publishing house is located here. The White House in Washington is the main building of America. It houses the state governments. The complex of buildings is surrounded by gardens that were created by the country's first ladies. Lots of others interesting places you can see with your own eyes when you visit the United States."> Attractions3
• National parks 2
• and cities equal to them in status. There are more than 3 thousand districts in total. Districts are governed by municipalities, whose rights are determined individually by each state. The USA also includes federal district Columbia, where the capital of the state is located - the city of Washington. In cooperation with the United States there are several independent territories, which can later become full states or terminate relations. These include Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Eastern Samoa, among other regions. How many states are there in the USA? State of AlaskaThe list of US states consists of fifty items. When the federation was formed, thirteen colonies became part of the state. The remaining states joined voluntarily, or as a result of commercial transactions or hostilities. Among them there are record holders. In terms of maximum area, the first place is occupied by snowy Alaska, acquired from the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. The most populous state is sunny and warm California, more than 35 million residents.">States 3

Most popular

One of the most famous landmarks of the USA, which is known not only to the indigenous population of the country, but to each of us. The Statue of Liberty is located in New York - a monument that can be especially often seen in films, as well as photographs of American tourists.

Opening of a memorial site accompanied by a cannon salvo, fireworks and the blaring of sirens. The long-awaited event happened back in 1886. Since that time, ships entering the port of New York are greeted by a stone statue of a woman holding the torch of freedom in her hand.

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, but symbol of America was the brainchild of French masters. It was there that the statue appeared to the light for the first time. Having taken it apart piece by piece, it was sent sailing straight across the Atlantic Ocean. Already in New York it was assembled and placed on a powerful base, already made by Native Americans. The statue was installed on Bedlow Island, which was later renamed Liberty Island.

The monument was conceived by academician Edouard de Laboulaye in 1865, and the author of the work was Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor originally from Alsace. The sculptor chose Bedlow Island for his own reasons, and in general, he imagined the monument not only on it, but also in Port Said (Suez Canal). Bartholdi failed to bring his project “Egypt Bringing Light to Asia” to life, but for America the idea came in handy.

The project was approved in Congress in 1877, even though, according to the plan, the sculpture should have appeared already in 1876, on the day the US Declaration of Independence was signed. However, it was not possible to immediately raise the required amount of money for the construction of the masterpiece; the deadlines were delayed. Lady Liberty reached New York on July 17, 1885. Over the course of four months, the monument was put together. There is one interesting fact associated with the opening of the monument on October 28, 1886. The ceremony was held in the company of only men, and this despite the fact that the statue represents a symbol of freedom. Only a little girl of eight years old and one woman were able to visit the island that day - Lessens' daughter and Bartholdi's wife.

What is the Statue of Liberty? The monument is formed by a steel frame weighing 125 tons. To design and build the structure, Gustav Eiffel was called in to help, who was replaced a little later by Maurice Koechlin. Inside the structure you can move and climb to the very top using a spiral staircase. To get to the observation deck you have to climb 354 steps. This path will seem easy after you look out of one of the 25 windows at the very top and see an incredible panoramic view.

The top of the steel skeleton is covered with copper plates, forming the silhouette of the monument. Copper was supplied for them from Russia. A symbol of freedom is also a broken shackle at one of the statue’s feet.

Initially she was nicknamed "Freedom, bringing light to the world", then renamed to the current one. The height of the sculpture is 46 meters. If you count all the elements of the statue together with the torch, the height will be 93 meters. Weight reaches 205 tons.

The statue received status national monument in 1924, followed by Bedloe Island itself. The monument was restored several times and new lighting was added.

Many people may have a question: “Who was the prototype of the statue?”. There are two versions. According to one of them, it is believed that Bartholdi was inspired by the image of Isabella Bayer (the widow of Isaac Singer). Another claims that the image belongs to his mother Charlotte.

Inside the statue opened a museum in 1972, accessible by elevator. The museum provides information about the history of the country's settlement. There are many conflicting opinions about the symbol of America. Some spoke about the high technique of execution, the clarity and grace of the lines, while others believe that it is impossible to talk about this statue as a symbol of freedom, it is too dispassionate and cold. Only opinions do not prevent residents of the United States, and the whole world in particular, from considering the Statue of Liberty a symbol of the country.

The Statue of Liberty has been one of the symbols of the United States for more than a century. But many ideas about it are incorrect, and some very little is known. Let's find out more about this unusual monument.

First of all, we note that it is officially called differently - “Freedom Illuminating the World.” The sculpture is located on the island of the same name, three kilometers southwest of Manhattan. For a long time it was called Bellow Island. The monument holds in its right hand a torch (which, as it were, “illuminates” the world), and in its left hand a tablet with the date of the US Declaration of Independence, written in Latin numerals. One of the legs of the “Illuminator” tramples torn shackles.

The seven rays in the crown crowning the statue symbolically represent the seas and continents. And yet, what is the Statue of Liberty in the USA made of? It would seem that it should be steel or stone, judging by the perception.

However, not all so simple. There is steel there - 125 tons. The sculptors also used 31 tons of copper, which covers it with a layer of just over two and a half millimeters. However, the numbers for both steel and copper simply pale in comparison to the concrete base, which reaches twenty-seven thousand tons. Thin copper sheets are mounted on top of a steel frame. Together with the foundation and pedestal, the height to the top of the torch reaches ninety-three meters.

Where was the Statue of Liberty made?

The monument symbolizing the United States was not actually made in America or even in the Western Hemisphere!

The author of the sculpture is the Frenchman Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The idea was to present it as a gift for the centennial anniversary of the United States. It’s interesting that they were going to install it in Port Said, Egypt, and call it “The Light of Asia.” However, the Cairo government decided not to spend money on installation and transportation.

When France and America entered into an agreement, it was assumed that they would make, respectively, sculpture and installation at the expense of Paris, and the pedestal at the expense of Washington. But material difficulties that arose on both sides of the ocean slowed things down.

What material was used for production?

It seems that we already know the answer to this question. But... let's not rush. The copper for that very statue was either mined in Bashkiria or smelted in Nizhny Tagil. The pedestal underneath is made of German cement.

However, that's not all! In addition to the sculpture itself, there are many copies of it. There are four of them in Paris alone; gilded version with a lantern instead of a torch in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. There are many other versions - for example, in one of the Las Vegas casinos, in Japan, the broken head of the once existing “freedom” in the Tretyakov Gallery, in Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Budapest, Riga.

After the tragedy of September 11, the original Statue of Liberty was closed to the public. Currently, it is available to everyone, but subject to thorough searches similar to those carried out in international airports. Consequently, the symbol of the USA is one of the safest sites in the world for tourists.

Was a joint work of France and the United States, built to commemorate the long friendship between the peoples of these two countries. French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi created the statue itself from sheets of hammered copper, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man who would go on to create the famous Eiffel Tower, designed the steel structure of the statue.

It was given by the French to the United States and placed on an American-designed pedestal on a small island in Upper New York Bay, now known as Liberty Island, and was presented by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. Over the years, the statue has watched as millions of immigrants arrived in America through nearby Ellis Island. In 1986, the statue was extensively reconstructed in honor of the centenary of its discovery. Today, the Statue of Liberty remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.

Origin of the Statue of Liberty

Around 1865, when the American Civil War approaching its end, French historian Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that France create a statue to give to the United States to celebrate that national success in creating a viable democracy. Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, known for his large-scale sculptures, was given the assignment; the goal was to create the sculpture in time for the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. The project would be a joint one between the two countries - the French would be responsible for the statue, while the Americans would build the pedestal on which it would stand - and symbolize the friendship between their peoples.

Due to the need to raise funds for the statue, work on the sculpture did not begin until 1875. Bartholdi's large creation was entitled "The Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" and depicted a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a plaque in her left, engraved with "July 4, 1776," the date of the Declaration of Independence. Bartholdi was said to have modeled the woman's face after his mother, hammering together large sheets of copper to create the statue's "skin" (using a technique called repousse).

To create a skeleton that would contain the skin, he turned to Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Together with Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Eiffel built the skeleton from an iron support and steel that allowed the copper skin to move freely, a necessary condition in the strong winds of the New York Harbor area.

Statue of Liberty: Assembly and Dedication

While work on the statue continued in France, fundraising efforts for the pedestal continued in the United States, including competitions, performances, and exhibitions. Towards the end, the owner and editor-in-chief of the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, raised the last necessary funds through his campaign. Designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the statue's pedestal was built in the courtyard of Fort Wood, a fortress built for the War of 1812, located on Bedloe Island at the southern tip of Manhattan in Upper New York Bay.

In 1885, Bartholdi completed the statue, which was disassembled, packed in over 200 crates, and shipped to New York aboard the French frigate Isère. Over the next four months, workers assembled the statue and placed it on the pedestal; its height reached 93 meters along with the pedestal. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially unveiled the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

In 1892, the US government opened a federal immigration station at Ellis Island, located near Bedloe Island in Upper New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1954, approximately 12 million immigrants arrived at Ellis Island before being allowed to enter the United States. From 1900 to 1914, during the peak years of its operation, approximately 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through each day.

Rising above New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty majestically greeted everyone passing through Ellis Island. Engraved on a plaque at the entrance to the statue's pedestal is a sonnet entitled "The New Colossus", written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus as part of a fundraising competition. Its most famous passage speaks to the statue's role as a welcoming symbol of freedom and democracy to the millions of immigrants who came to America in search of a new, better life:

Give me all those tired ones
who is oppressed by the cruelty of your harsh disposition, -
outcasts passionately thirsting for freedom.

Become a beacon of greatness and glory,
my torch is at the Golden Gate."

Statue of Liberty through the years

Until 1901, the American Lighthouse Board operated the Statue of Liberty, as the statue's torch represented a navigational aid for sailors. Thereafter, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the United States War Department due to Fort Wood's status as still an Army operational post. The federal government made the statue a national monument in 1924, and it was transferred to the care of the National Park Service in 1933. In 1956, Bedloe Island was renamed Liberty Island, and in 1965, more than a decade after the closure of the Federal Migration Station, Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

By the early 20th century, oxidation of the Statue of Liberty's copper skin from exposure to rain, wind and sun gave the statue a distinctive green color known as verdigris. In 1984, the statue was closed to the public and underwent a major restoration in time for its centennial celebration. Just as restoration began, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Liberty Island closed for 100 days; the Statue of Liberty itself was closed to visitors until August 2004. In July 2009, the statue's crown reopened to the public, although visitors must pre-register to climb to the top of the pedestal or crown, as The Statue of Liberty can only accommodate 240 people per day.

Opens today Observation deck wearing the crown of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

The Statue of Liberty, full name "Liberty Enlightening the World" is one of the most famous sculptures in the USA and in the world, often called the "symbol of New York and the USA", "a symbol of freedom and democracy ", "Lady Liberty".

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, approximately 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan, one of the boroughs of New York. Until 1956, the island was called Bedloe's Island.

The Statue of Liberty is a gift from the French people to the United States in honor of the centenary of American independence and as a sign of friendship between the two states.

The idea for this symbol came from the French scientist, lawyer and abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye back in the late 1860s. He proceeded from the fact that America and France were connected by old friendly ties. France provided moral and material support to the American struggle for independence - the French General Lafayette even became a national hero of the United States. The statue was intended as a gift for the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. With this gift, the French wanted to express their admiration for the great republic on the other side of the Atlantic. The French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi was commissioned to create the statue. His Statue of Liberty was inspired by Delacroix's famous painting "Liberty Leading the People to the Barricades." The internal supporting structure of the tower was made by Gustave Eiffel, the future creator of the Eiffel Tower.

Work on the statue was completed in France in July 1884. The statue was constructed from thin sheets of copper hammered into wooden molds. The formed sheets were then installed on a steel frame.

In June 1885, the statue was delivered to New York Harbor aboard the French frigate Isere. "Lady Liberty" was transported from France to the United States in disassembled form - it was divided into 350 parts, packed in 214 boxes. Assembling the statue on the pedestal took four months.

On September 11, 2001, as a result of the terrorist attack on the World Shopping mall The Statue of Liberty and the island were closed to the public.

The interior of the statue remains closed to the public, but the iron frame created by Gustave Eiffel can be seen through the glass separator.

In May 2009, it was announced that the Crown Observation Deck of the Statue of Liberty would reopen to tourists on July 4, 2009.

At the very beginning, the statue was not green, it turned green due to atmospheric conditions, the main one being acid rain.

The torch we see today is not the historical torch from 1886. It was replaced during the 1984 - 1986 renovation as its restoration was considered inappropriate. The original torch was modified quite extensively in 1916. Today this torch is displayed in a museum located inside the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

In 1883, American poet Emma Lazarus wrote the sonnet "The New Colossus", dedicated to the Statue of Liberty. 20 years later, in 1903, it was engraved on a bronze plate and attached to the outside of the pedestal. The last lines of the sonnet in the Russian translation sound like this: “...Give me your tired people, All those who long to breathe freely, abandoned in need, From the close shores of the persecuted, the poor and the orphans, So send them, homeless and exhausted, to me. I raise my torch is at the Golden Gate!"

The following coins were minted with the image of the Statue of Liberty: November 11, 1922 - 15 cent coin; June 24, 1954 - 3 cent coin; April 9, 1954 - 8 cent coin and June 11, 1961 - 11 cent coin.

The New York 25-cent coin, minted in 2001, features the Statue of Liberty with the words “Gateway to Freedom.”