The first two state quarters of 2007 - the ninth year of the 50 State Quarters Program - honor the "Big Sky Country" of Montana, and "The Evergreen State" of Washington.

 The Montana state quarter was released in January. The design features a bison skull above the Montana landscape, and the inscriptions Big Sky Country, Montana, and 1889, the year that the state was admitted to the Union.

 The design was chosen last year from among four final designs. The other designs were Bull Elk, featuring a bull elk posed majestically on a rugged rock formation; State Outline, showing mountains tapering to the eastern Montana plains; and Big Sky with River, prominently featuring Montana's big sky with a river emerging from a mountain range.

 The Washington state quarter will be launched by Governor Chris Gregoire at a special ceremony on April 11 at the Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion. The coin's design includes  a king salmon breaching the water in front of Mount Rainier, and the  inscriptions The Evergreen State, and 1889, the year Washington became a state.

 Last year, citizens of Washington chose from among three designs: a salmon, Mount Ranier, and an apple within an outline of Washington state.

 Later this year, coins honoring Idaho, Wyoming and Utah will be issued.