Specimen of Series A Preferred Stock Certificate

Exhibit 4.2

Number		Shares

FIRST INTERSTATE BANCSYSTEM, INC.

This Certifies that SPECIMEN, is the owner of                                                           fully paid and non-assessable Shares of 6.75% Series A Noncumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock in the above named Corporation transferable only on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the said Corporation has caused this Certificate to be signed by its duly authorized officers.

DATED                                          .

	, Secretary			, President

For value received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto                               ,           shares represented by the within Certificate, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints                               , Attorney to transfer the said shares on the books of the within-named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

				Dated:
Signature:				In the presence of:

TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS

THE SECURITY REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS. NEITHER THIS SECURITY NOR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN MAY BE REOFFERED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED, ENCUMBERED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION UNLESS SUCH TRANSACTION IS EXEMPT FROM, OR NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF OR THEREOF, AS THE CASE MAY BE, AGREES TO OFFER, SELL OR OTHERWISE TRANSFER SUCH SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN PRIOR TO THE DATE (THE “RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE”) WHICH IS THE LATER OF (i) TWO YEARS (OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AS PERMITTED BY RULE 144(k) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) AFTER THE LATER OF (A) THE DATE OF ORIGINAL ISSUANCE HEREOF AND (B) THE LAST DATE ON WHICH THE CORPORATION OR ANY AFFILIATE (AS DEFINED IN RULE 405 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT) OF THE CORPORATION WAS THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR SUCH INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION (OR ANY PREDECESSOR THERETO) AND (ii) SUCH LATER DATE, IF ANY, AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY ANY SUBSEQUENT CHANGE IN APPLICABLE LAW, ONLY (A) TO THE CORPORATION, (B) PURSUANT TO RULE 144A UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT (“RULE 144A”), TO A PERSON THE HOLDER REASONABLY BELIEVES IS A “QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER”, AS DEFINED IN RULE 144A, THAT PURCHASES FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF A QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER TO WHOM NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT THE TRANSFER IS BEING MADE IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A, (C) PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT TO AN “ACCREDITED INVESTOR” WITHIN THE MEANING OF SUBPARAGRAPH (a)(1), (2), (3), (7) OR (8) OF RULE 501 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT THAT IS ACQUIRING THIS SECURITY OR SUCH INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT, OR FOR THE ACCOUNT OF SUCH AN ACCREDITED INVESTOR, FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES AND NOT WITH A VIEW TO, OR FOR OFFER OR SALE IN CONNECTION WITH, ANY DISTRIBUTION IN VIOLATION OF THE SECURITIES ACT, (D) PURSUANT TO OFFERS AND SALES TO NON-U.S. PERSONS THAT OCCUR OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES PURSUANT TO REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR (E) PURSUANT TO ANOTHER AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT; SUBJECT TO THE CORPORATION’S RIGHT PRIOR TO ANY SUCH OFFER, SALE OR TRANSFER PURSUANT TO CLAUSE (C) OR (E) ABOVE TO REQUIRE THE DELIVERY OF AN OPINION OF COUNSEL, CERTIFICATIONS AND/OR OTHER INFORMATION REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO IT. PRIOR TO THE RESALE RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE, THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF OR THEREOF, AS THE CASE MAY BE, AGREES THAT IT WILL COMPLY WITH THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS. THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF OR THEREOF, AS THE CASE MAY BE, FURTHER AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ENGAGE IN ANY HEDGING TRANSACTIONS WITH REGARD HERETO OR THERETO EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY THE SECURITIES ACT.

THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN, BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF OR THEREOF, AS THE CASE MAY BE, ALSO AGREES, REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS THAT IT IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN, INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT OR OTHER PLAN OR ARRANGEMENT SUBJECT TO TITLE I OF THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974, AS AMENDED (“ERISA”), OR SECTION 4975 OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986, AS AMENDED (THE “CODE”) (EACH A “PLAN”), OR AN ENTITY WHOSE UNDERLYING ASSETS INCLUDE “PLAN ASSETS” BY REASON OF ANY PLAN’S INVESTMENT IN THE ENTITY, AND NO PERSON INVESTING “PLAN ASSETS” OF ANY PLAN MAY ACQUIRE OR HOLD THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN, UNLESS SUCH PURCHASER OR HOLDER IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXEMPTIVE RELIEF AVAILABLE UNDER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROHIBITED TRANSACTION CLASS EXEMPTION 96-23, 95-60, 91-38, 90-1 OR 84-14 OR ANOTHER APPLICABLE EXEMPTION OR ITS PURCHASE AND HOLDING OF THIS SECURITY OR SUCH INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION IS NOT PROHIBITED BY SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE WITH RESPECT TO SUCH PURCHASE OR HOLDING. ANY PURCHASER OR HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE REPRESENTED BY ITS PURCHASE AND HOLDING HEREOF OR THEREOF, AS THE CASE MAY BE, THAT EITHER (i) IT IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 3(3) OF ERISA, OR A PLAN TO WHICH SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE IS APPLICABLE, A TRUSTEE OR OTHER PERSON ACTING ON BEHALF OF AN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN OR PLAN, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY USING THE ASSETS OF ANY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN OR PLAN TO FINANCE SUCH PURCHASE, OR (ii) SUCH PURCHASE AND HOLDING WILL NOT RESULT IN A PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER SECTION 406 OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO APPLICABLE STATUTORY OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXEMPTION.

THE SALE, PLEDGE, HYPOTHECATION OR TRANSFER OF THE SECURITY REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS SUBJECT TO SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS AS SET FORTH IN THE CORPORATION’S ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, AS AMENDED (THE “ARTICLES”). A COPY OF THE ARTICLES MAY BE OBTAINED UPON WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AT THE OFFICES OF THE CORPORATION.

THE SECURITY REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 18, 2007 BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND FIRST WESTERN BANCORP., INC. N/K/A CHRISTEN GROUP, INC., A COPY OF WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION AT THE OFFICES OF THE CORPORATION.

THE VOTING POWERS, LIQUIDATION RIGHTS, DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES, RESTRICTIONS, LIMITATIONS, AND RELATIVE RIGHTS APPLICABLE TO THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SET FORTH IN THE ARTICLES OF THE CORPORATION AS FILED WITH THE STATE OF MONTANA, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, ALL THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE.

THE CORPORATION WILL FURNISH TO ANY SHAREHOLDER UPON REQUEST AND WITHOUT CHARGE, A STATEMENT OR SUMMARY OF: THE DESIGNATIONS, PREFERENCES, RESTRICTIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RELATIVE RIGHTS APPLICABLE TO EACH CLASS OF SHARES THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE; THE VARIATIONS IN PREFERENCES, RESTRICTIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RELATIVE RIGHTS DETERMINED FOR EACH SERIES OF SHARES WITHIN A CLASS; AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO DETERMINE VARIATIONS FOR ANY EXISTING OR FUTURE CLASS OR SHARES.