Released on May 22, 2000, this is the eighth coin released in the 50 State Quarters Program and the third released in 2000. South Carolina, admitted into the Union on May 23, 1788, themed the coin, The Palmetto State. It highlights the outline of the state and three symbols, Palmetto tree, the Carolina Wren, the Yellow Jessamine, its nickname The Palmetto State, and a star which indicates the states capital, Columbia. Launched in 1999, the United States Mint s 50 State Quarters Program was a 10-year initiative that honored each of the nation s states in the order that they ratified the Constitution or were admitted into the Union. Each quarter was produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again. State designs are displayed on the reverse (tails) of the quarters, while the obverse design displays the familiar image of George Washington. But, to accommodate state designs on the reverse, the words United States of America, Quarter Dollar, Liberty, and In God We Trust all appear on the obverse. South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.