Seven circles, seven letters
Across the top of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, each letter in **WELCOME** sits inside a white neon circle. The circles were designed to suggest silver dollars—a compact visual reference to Nevada’s nickname, the **Silver State**. They are a graphic motif, not seven separate giant coins.
That distinction matters. The sign’s power comes from turning several familiar ideas into one readable roadside composition: a stretched diamond, an eight-point star, chasing perimeter bulbs, cursive lettering, and the seven silver-dollar circles.
Betty Willis’s 1959 roadside landmark
Clark County identifies commercial artist **Betty Willis** as the designer of the sign in 1959. County records also describe Western Electric Display, commonly known as Western Neon, as the company that submitted the winning bid after the Clark County Commission approved funding.
The result is a 25-foot-tall example of Googie roadside design. It stands on Las Vegas Boulevard South, south of Russell Road, in unincorporated Clark County. The landmark was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Why the silver-dollar idea works
The circles do three jobs at once:
1. They separate the seven letters so **WELCOME** can be read quickly from the road. 2. Their round, coin-like form connects the sign to Nevada’s Silver State identity. 3. Their repeated rhythm creates a bright crown above the larger diamond-shaped cabinet.
The design is symbolic, so claims about enormous coin dimensions, weight, silver plating, or a later “renovation project” should not be treated as fact. The reliable record supports a simpler story: Willis designed the sign in 1959, and the seven circles represent silver dollars.
Look at both sides
The famous south-facing side welcomes arriving visitors. The reverse carries another piece of Willis’s friendly roadside language: **“Drive Carefully, Come Back Soon.”** Seeing both faces makes the sign feel less like a flat logo and more like a complete gateway.
What to notice during a visit
From the public viewing area, look at how the white circles frame the red WELCOME letters, then compare their tight repetition with the looser script of “Fabulous” below. At dusk, the illuminated circles become even easier to read, while daylight makes the sign’s physical construction and layered geometry clearer.
The safest interpretation is also the most interesting: seven simple circles turned Nevada’s nickname into one of the most recognizable lines of lettering in American roadside design.
Sources
- [Clark County: Las Vegas Sign — America 250](https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/government/departments/parks___recreation/cultural_division/america250-signal-boxes/las-vegas-sign)
- [Clark County: Welcome Sign history and National Register details](https://www.clarkcountynv.gov/news/news-detail-t28-r1059)
- [Visit Las Vegas: A Brief History of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign](https://www.visitlasvegas.com/experience/post/a-brief-history-of-the-welcome-to-fabulous-las-vegas-sign/)