Mustangs in front of mountains in front of rising sun, framed by two sagebrushes and a banner with the text 'The Silver State': that is the motif the State of Nevada chose for it's state quarter. Nevada is named after the Spanish word 'nieve' for 'snow' because of the Sierra Nevada, a snow covered mountain range. Otherwise Nevada is largely desert, as the coin image expresses well. The nickname 'Silver State' alludes to the large silver deposits in Nevada's soil and the importance of silver for the state's history and economy.