Florida Quarter: The second quarter released in 2004 honors Florida, and is the 27th in the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters® Program. Florida was admitted into the Union on March 3, 1845 becoming our Nation's 27th State. Nicknamed the "Sunshine State," Florida's quarter features a 16th-century Spanish galleon, a space shuttle and a strip of land with Sabal palm trees. The coin bears the inscriptions "Gateway to Discovery" and "Florida 1845." Additional details
Name: Officially discovered in 1513 by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, it's believed he named it "La Florida," meaning 'Land of Flowers'. However, some believe this land was first discovered in 1497 by the English explorer, John Cabot.