The second quarter released in 2006 honors Nebraska, and is the 37th in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. Nebraska was admitted into the Union on March 1, 1867, becoming our Nation’s 37th state. Nicknamed the "Cornhusker State," Nebraska’s quarter depicts an ox-drawn covered wagon carrying pioneers in the foreground and a full depiction of Chimney Rock, the natural wonder that rises from the valley of North Platte River, measuring 445 feet from base to tip. The sun is in full view behind the wagon and the coin also bears the inscriptions "Nebraska," "Chimney Rock" and "1867." The Nebraska quarter is available in two-roll sets (40 coins per roll), including one roll each from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and Denver, and in bags of 100 and 1,000 coins. Click here to view Nebraska state quarter products. Click here to learn more about the Nebraska state quarter design.

The 2006 Nebraska Official First Day Coin Cover is the 37th in the series. This limited-edition cover – only 50,000 will be produced - features two Nebraska circulating quarter-dollars from the first day of mintage, March 6, 2006. Each cover includes two quarters, one each from the United States Mint at Philadelphia and Denver, on a handsome display card with the 39-cent United States Lady Liberty and Flag postage stamp. The postmark of April 3, 2006, Bayard, Nebraska, marks the day the Nebraska quarter-dollars were first released to the Federal Reserve Bank and to the public. This product goes on sale April 24. Click here to view all First Day Coin Covers.

The theme for this year’s National Coin Week is "A Penny Saved is History Learned." It runs the week of April 16-22, and the focus for 2006 is the celebration of the tercentenary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth.

This week, the United States Mint’s H.I.P. Pocket Change website has special activities planned. There will be something new and exciting each day, so be sure to bookmark the site and check in often to see what’s new.

The United States Mint encourages you to take a closer look at the coins you handle everyday. These tiny American ambassadors are truly history in your pocket, and collecting them is a rewarding hobby that can last a lifetime. With coins, the present mingles with the past, helping connect generations and reminding all of us of the significant people, places and events that helped shape our Nation.

April is a busy month at the United States Mint H.I.P. Pocket Change Web site for kids! Here are the great features in April’s lineup:

The United States Mint celebrates another birthday this month, and you can join in the party at Camp Coin. The Pals have a cake big enough for everyone to have a piece! Their interactive timeline tells you all about the beginnings and development of the United States Mint.

April is also Financial Literacy Month. Parents and teachers can call up our Financial Literacy page and find lesson plans and activities that help kids learn what handling money is all about.

A brand new issue of Making Cents, the online newsletter for kids, is also available this month! Visit the Coin News section for Making Cents and its new crossword puzzle, then check out the Coin of the Month.

For April’s Coin of the Month, Inspector Collector presents a coin from 1925 that commemorates the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War.

Question: In what denominations were the first coins of the United States minted?

Answer: The Mint’s first gold and silver coins had no denominations on them. Since their designs were the same, the only way to tell them apart was by their size. People must have been really careful when they counted their change!