The Massachusetts Quarter is the sixth of the 50 States Commemorative Quarters released by the U.S. Mint.

According to the U.S. Mint’s official website, The Massachusetts quarter, the first quarter of the new millennium, features a design of “The Minuteman," a famous statue that stands guard at The Minuteman National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts.

The selected design captures a piece of the Bay State’s exceptional history. The Minutemen played a big role in protecting our nation, as they rallied together to help defeat the British during the Revolutionary War.

These small, influential forces consisting of regular farmers and colonists, were always at–the–ready and were trained to assemble and fight on just a minute’s notice-hence the term ’minutemen’.

The Maryland Quarter is the seventh of the 50 States Commemorative Quarters released by the U.S. Mint. According to the U.S. Mint’s official website, Central to this design is the Maryland State House dome.

It is surrounded by the nickname “The Old Line State” and balanced on both sides by oak leaf clusters. Through its new quarter, the 7th state shares its pride for the honored Maryland State House. A distinctive building dating back to 1772, it features the country’s largest wooden dome built without nails.

Besides housing Maryland’s colonial legislature, it was also crucial to our national history. From 1783–1784, the Maryland State House served as the nation‘s first peacetime capital. The Treaty of Paris was ratified here, officially ending the Revolutionary War.

A treasure preserved, the State House continues as the country’s oldest state capital building still in legislative use. Leaf clusters from the official state tree, the White Oak, and the nickname The Old Line State complete the selected design.

Maryland is nicknamed the Old Line State in honor of its “troops of the line.” These troops won praise from George Washington, who was Commander–in–Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

The South Carolina Quarter is the 8th of the 50 States Commemorative Quarters released by the U.S. Mint. According to the U.S. Mint’s official website, The South Carolina quarter, the third quarter of the new millennium, features a design of The Carolina Wren, the state bird, and the Yellow Jessamine, the state flower.

The importance of the Palmetto Tree, the state tree, dates back to the Revolutionary War. In 1776, colonists in a small fort built of Palmetto logs successfully defeated a British fleet trying to capture Charleston Harbor. Since then, South Carolina has been called, “The Palmetto State.”

The New Hampshire Quarter is the ninth of the 50 States Commemorative Quarters released by the U.S. Mint. According to the U.S. Mint’s official website, The New Hampshire quarter, honors one of the state’s most unique natural attractions, “The Old Man of the Mountain.”

The states motto, “Live free or die,” and nine stars, representing New Hampshire being the ninth state to ratify the Constitution.

“The Old Man of the Mountain” is a rock formation that can be found on Mt. Cannon in the Franconia Notch gateway to Northern New Hampshire. From the right view, this unique rock formation, comprised of five layers of Conway red granite, depicts the distinct profile of an elderly man gazing eastward.

Geographers believe that the layers of granite were positioned by the melting and slipping away action of an ice sheet that covered the Franconia Mountains at the end of the glacial period – some 2,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Today, the formation, measuring over 40 feet high with a lateral distance of 25 feet, is held in place by cables and turnbuckles to prevent further slipping and possible destruction.

Another interesting fact about the New Hampshire quarter is that it is the ONLY TWO HEADED QUARTER EVER PRODUCED BY THE US MINT! Think about it.

The Virginia Quarter is the tenth of the 50 States Commemorative Quarters released by the U.S. Mint. According to the U.S. Mint’s official website, The Virginia quarter honors our nation’s oldest colony, Jamestown, VA.

Jamestown turns 400 years old in 2007. The selected design features the three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery. These ships brought the first English settlers to Jamestown. On April 10, 1606, King James I of England chartered the Virginia Company to encourage colonization in the New World.

The first expedition, consisting of the three ships depicted on the quarter, embarked from London on December 20, 1606. On May 12, 1607, they landed on a small island along the James River nearly 60 miles from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

It was here the original settlers (104 men and boys) established the first permanent English settlement called Jamestown, in honor of King James I.