|
Release date of Washington State Quarter: April,
2007.
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."
|
 |
|
The Washington State Quarter highlights the
natural beauty of "The Evergreen State".
United States Mint image |
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.
Purchase a
Washington State Quarter
|
