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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.