The
second commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2007 honors
Washington, and is the 42nd coin in the United States Mint's 50 State
Quarters® Program. Washington, nicknamed the "Evergreen State," was
admitted into the Union on November 11, 1889, becoming our Nation's 42nd
state. The reverse of Washington's quarter features a king salmon
breaching the water in front of majestic Mount Rainier. The coin bears
the inscriptions "The Evergreen State," "Washington" and "1889."
Mount
Rainier is an active volcano encased in more than 35 square miles of
snow and glacial ice. It is the symbolic bridge between the eastern and
western parts of the State. The salmon is another important symbol of
Washington. It is a traditional image of Pacific Northwest culture, and
this fish has provided nourishment for the native peoples of the Pacific
Northwest. Newsman and real estate pioneer C.T. Conover nicknamed
Washington the "Evergreen State" because of its many lush evergreen
forests.
In
April 2005, Governor Chris Gregoire established the Washington State
Quarter Advisory Commission to help guide the quarter selection process.
The Commission requested that residents submit design narratives
representing various Washington themes. The Commission received more
than 1,500 suggestions and chose five narratives to pass on to the
United States Mint. United States Mint sculptor-engravers and artists in
the United States Mint's Artistic Infusion Program created the
corresponding design images. The residents of Washington participated in
a statewide vote in April 2006, in which more than 130,000 votes were
cast. On May 4, 2006, Governor Gregoire announced Washington's
recommendation at Centennial Elementary School in Olympia, Washington.
Governor Gregoire's recommendation, a king salmon breaching the water in
front of Mount Rainier, received the majority of votes cast in the
statewide poll.
The
Department of the Treasury approved the design on June 22, 2006. The
two other designs considered during the statewide vote were a design
depicting a salmon, Mount Rainier and an apple within an outline of
Washington State, and a Northwest Native American-stylized orca.
Source: United States Mint
Description: