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Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Mint today announced that a limited edition of 100,000 New York Official First Day Coin Covers will be available online at www.USMINT.gov. at 12:00 noon Eastern Time on February 12, 2001. The Official First Day Coin Covers feature two New York quarters from the first day of mintage — December 11, 2000.

Priced at $19.95, the Official First Day Coin Cover includes quarters from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints on a handsome display card with the 34-cent Statue of Liberty postage stamp.

The postmark of “January 2, 2001, Albany, New York” marks the day the New York quarters were first released to the Federal Reserve and the public - certifying this limited edition and honoring “The Empire State.” The New York quarter reverse design features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of New York State with the inscription “Gateway to Freedom.” A line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal is incorporated into the outline of the state, with eleven stars circling the coin signifying New York as the eleventh state.

The New York quarter is the 11th coin of the 50 State Quarters™ Program that honors each of the 50 states in the order they entered the union. Five state designs will be issued each year through 2008 at approximately 10-week intervals.

Customers can purchase the New York quarters four ways: First, they can save shipping and handling charges by using the Mint’s secure web site www.USMINT.gov. Second, they can call 1-800-USA-MINT. Third, they may download an order form at the web site and fax it to (301) 344-4150. Fourth, mail orders may be sent to U.S. Mint, Customer Care Center, Lanham, MD 20706-4331 (Attention: Order Processing). A shipping and handling fee of $3.95 per order will be added to all fax, mail and telephone orders for these products. Hearing and speech impaired customers may order by calling (301) 344-4144 TDD. Please allow approximately 6-8 weeks for delivery.

ALBANY, NY, January 8, 2001 – To coin a phrase, the Empire State now has a “place in the pockets” of Americans across the country. Today, U.S. Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow and Governor George E. Pataki officially unveil the New York quarter, the newest coin of the U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters™ Program. The New York quarter is the sixth quarter of the new millennium minted under the U.S. Mint’s widely popular program – and the eleventh quarter since the program started in 1999.

The quarter pays tribute to New York’s rich and influential history. Images of the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of New York State – along with the inscription “Gateway to Freedom” – celebrate the role of New York in America’s history. Lines tracing the Hudson River and Erie Canal are also etched into the state’s outline. These two important waterways were not included in the original design. They were added at Governor Pataki’s request to pay tribute to their importance in the state’s development.

The celebration takes place at the New York State Museum in Albany, coinciding with the museum’s new “Gateway to Freedom” exhibit. The exhibit features a retrospective look at the two-year selection process orchestrated by the Governor’s office to choose the quarter’s design. The exhibit highlights the winning design as well as five finalist designs considered by Governor Pataki.

For more than 100 years, the Statue of Liberty was the first symbol of freedom viewed by immigrants entering the United States through Ellis Island. “Gateway to Freedom celebrates New York’s place in history as the entry point for millions of immigrants coming to America seeking the opportunities that living in a free society provides,” said Withrow. “By selecting this design for the New York quarter, Governor Pataki and the citizens of New York are paying homage to the people who came from around the world to make New York a diverse, multi-cultural state.”

“I am pleased that the 50 State Quarters Program has allowed us to capture and honor this important symbol in our Nation’s history,” said U.S. Mint Director Jay W. Johnson. “This design celebrates New York’s historic importance for those courageous people who came to America seeking the opportunities of a free society.”

Elementary school children attending the celebration will receive a shiny New York quarter to jump-start their own collections, adding to the coin collecting craze sweeping the nation. U.S. Mint research shows that well over 114 million American households are collecting these quarters. 50 State Quarters products such as pristine proof sets, educational maps and unique jewelry are adding to the collecting fun. They are available through the U.S. Mint’s Web site at www.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USAMINT. More information about the 50 State Quarters Program can be found via the Web site as well.

The release of the New York quarter marks the end of production of the Virginia quarter, which was released in October 2000. Each new quarter is minted for about 10 weeks, after which it is no longer produced. The new quarters are manufactured at both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. Together, they produce all legal tender U.S. circulating coins before being shipped to the Federal Reserve for distribution through the banking system. The Federal Reserve orders new quarters to ensure an adequate supply to meet the needs of commerce as commercial banks demand.

Washington, D.C., December 27, 2000 — The U.S. Mint announced today that New York quarters will be sold online beginning Monday, January 8, 2001, at 12:00 noon (ET), and ending Thursday, January 11, 2001, at 12:00 noon (ET). The New York quarters are available in two-roll sets (40 coins per roll), including one Philadelphia and one Denver Mint Mark coin roll, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins.

Collectors will have 72 hours to purchase two-roll sets and bags of the newest quarters. The New York quarter is the sixth coin of the new millennium minted under the 50 State Quarters™ Program and eleventh overall in the program. The New York quarter reverse design features the Statue of Liberty superimposed over an outline of New York State with the inscription “Gateway to Freedom.” A line tracing the Hudson River and the route of the Erie Canal is incorporated into the outline of the state.

Each coin roll is wrapped in a specially designed U.S. Mint paper coin wrap, which prominently displays the 50 State Quarters™ Program logo, a “P” or “D” representing the roll’s mint of origin, “NY” designating the state of New York, and “$10” representing its dollar value. Each bag is marked with the Mint of origin and the dollar value of its contents ($25 or $250). These rolls and bags, featuring quarters used in regular transactions and struck on our main production floors at the Philadelphia and Denver Mint facilities, will be shipped directly to you from the U.S. Mint. Note that there are no order limits on these products.

Customers can purchase the New York quarters three ways: First, they can save shipping and handling charges by ordering online using the Mint’s secure web site, at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog/default.htm. Second, they may call 1-800-USA-MINT. Third, they may download a fax order form from the web site and fax it to (301) 918-2039. A shipping and handling fee of $3.95 per order will be added to all telephone and fax orders for these products. Hearing and speech-impaired customers may order by calling (301) 344-4144 TTY. Please allow approximately 6-8 weeks for delivery.