USA state quarters - IV

Illinois state quarter

The Illinois state quarter depicts a young Abraham Lincoln within the outline of the state, flanked by a farm scene and the Chicago skyline. Illinois is also known as the "Land of Lincoln" as Lincoln had studied law in Springfield and later on became a great leader of the nation. The 21 stars on the rim of the coin show that Illinois was the 21st state to be admitted to the United States, in 1818.

Idaho state quarter

Idaho, nicknamed the "Gem State," was admitted into the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming USA's 43rd state. The reverse of Idaho's quarter features the Peregrine Falcon imposing its presence above an outline of the State of Idaho. The coin bears the inscriptions "Esto Perpetua" (the State motto which means, "May it be Forever").

The Peregrine Falcon is one of the fastest birds in the world. Once on the endangered species list, it can now be found throughout Idaho and the United States because of conservation efforts.

Hawaii state quarter

Hawaii, spelled "Hawai'i" in the Hawaiian language, is nicknamed "The Aloha State." It became the 50th state admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959. The release of this quarter signals the end of the ten-year 50 State Quarters Program.

The reverse of Hawaii's quarter features Hawaiian monarch King Kamehameha I(same name as Goku's special attack in Akira Toriyama's popular series DragonballZ) stretching his hand toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands. Inscriptions are the state motto "UA MAU KE EA O KA ĀINA I KA PONO," ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"), "Hawaii" and "1959."

King Kamehameha I is a revered figure in Hawaiian history. He unified the governance of the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in the early 1800s and navigated changes in Hawaii, while maintaining the native practices and traditional ways of island life. His "Law of the Splintered Paddle" guaranteed the protection of citizens from harm during war and became a landmark in humanitarian law. He is honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall.