The first state quarter of the 21st Century - and the 11th coin of the State Quarters Program - honors New York, the Empire State. The coin features an image of the Statue of Liberty against an outline of the state with a line tracing the route of the Erie Canal and the Hudson River, the words "Gateway to Freedom," eleven stars, and the date 1788.

New York was the 11th state to join the Union, having ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788.

The design on the obverse (tails) of the coin commemorates New York's role as the entry point - the "Gateway to Freedom" - for millions of immigrants who came to American through New York seeking greater opportunities and religious and political freedom.

The Statue of Liberty (originally christened "Liberty Enlightening the World") was given to our country in 1886 by the people of France. For over 100 years, she has lifted her lamp of liberty over New York Harbor and welcomed millions of immigrants to a new home.

The Erie Canal was the brainchild of New York Governor DeWitt Clinton who, in 1817, convinced the New York State Legislature to authorize seven million dollars to build a 363-mile canal from Buffalo on Lake Erie to Albany on the Hudson River.

Eight years later, in 1825, the Erie Canal opened and was an immediate financial and social success not only for the state but for the nation. It spurred the first great westward movement, increased trade through lower freight costs, and provided access to resources and markets. It created opportunities for growth in New York State, making it the "Empire State."

In 1999, New York State Governor George Pataki reviewed hundreds of suggestions for the quarter's design and submitted five designs to the US Mint for their approval. They were:

• Erie Canal - a mule pulling a barge through the canal, an outline of New York State, and the words "Gateway to America"

• Henry Hudson and his ship, The Half Moon, sailing up the Hudson River

• Battle of Saratoga - General Burgoyne surrendering to General Gates, with the phrase "Turning Point for Freedom"

• Statue of Liberty - against an outline of the state with the phrase: "Gateway to Freedom"

• Federal Building - in New York City with the phrase "America's First Capitol."

The Erie Canal design was rejected by the US Mint because they considered it too difficult to represent on the back of a coin. The Mint approved the four other ideas, plus one featuring the Statue of Liberty against a New York City skyline.

On July 13, 2000, Governor Pataki chose the "Gateway to Freedom" design for the state's quarter, but asked the US Mint to alter the design by adding a line to represent the Erie Canal and the Hudson River.

The New York State quarter is being issued this month and will start circulating soon. This is the third year of the ten-year State Quarters Program, which honors each state in the order in which they entered the Union. The four other states which will have coins issued this year are North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Kentucky.