US Mint Joins NPS on "Island of Hope" to Release Newest Quarter

2017 Ellis Island America the Beautiful U.S. Mint coin.

The United States Mint and the National Park Service launched the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program New Jersey quarter honoring Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants seeking new opportunities and experiences in America.

The quarter’s reverse design depicts an immigrant family approaching Ellis Island with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. The hospital building on the New Jersey portion of Ellis Island is visible in the background.

“It’s incredibly fitting that the State of New Jersey chose Ellis Island for inclusion in the United States Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Program,” said Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “The National Park Service is a proud steward of this remarkable landmark that tells an important story about what it means to be an American and our history as a beacon of liberty to the world.”

“This new coin not only honors the unique history of the largest and most active immigration station in the United States, but also the spirit and determination of the millions of people seeking a better life in America,” said Todd Baldau, senior advisor to the Acting Deputy Director of the Mint.

The Ellis Island quarter is the 39th release in the Mint’s America the Beautiful Quarters Program, a 12-year program that honors 56 national parks and other national sites authorized by Public Law 110-456, the America’s Beautiful National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Act of 2008 (Act). Each year, the public will see five new national sites depicted on the reverses (tails sides) of the America the Beautiful Quarters coins.