A salmon is leaping from the water, in the background is a mountain. It is Mount Rainier, almost 4400 meters high, depicted on the state quarter of the American state of Washington. About half of Washington's territory is covered in forest. They are full of evergreen trees, which is why the state's nickname is 'The Evergreen State'. The American state quarters program was a series of commemoration coins issued between 1999 und 2008. Each of the fifty states created its own coin face. The coin was to feature a famous person, a tradition, a historic event or another symbol typical for the respective state. The series was intended to attract a new generation of coin collectors and became the most successful numismatic program the US mint ever launched.