The two-cent piece was produced by the U.S. Mint for circulation from
1864 to 1872 and for collectors in 1873. It was designed by James B.
Longacre. The economic turmoil of the American Civil War caused
government-issued coins, even the non-silver Indian Head cent, to vanish
from circulation, hoarded by the public. One means of filling this gap
was private token issues, often made of bronze. The cent at that time
was struck of a copper-nickel alloy. The piece was difficult for the
Philadelphia Mint to strike, and Mint officials, as well as the annual
Assay Commission, recommended the coin's replacement. Despite opposition
from those wishing to keep the metal nickel in the coinage, Congress
passed the Coinage Act of 1864, authorizing bronze cents and two-cent
pieces. Although initially popular in the absence of other federal
coinage, the two-cent piece's place in circulation was later usurped by
the three-cent piece and the nickel. There were decreasing mintages each
year, and it was abolished by the Mint Act of 1873. Large quantities
were redeemed by the government and melted. Nevertheless, two-cent
pieces remain inexpensive by the standards of 19th-century American
coinage.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-cent_piece>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1500:
Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral and his crew landed
in present day Brazil and claimed the land for Portugal.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_%C3%81lvares_Cabral>
1889:
Over 50,000 people rushed to claim a piece of the available
two million acres (8,000 km2) in the Unassigned Lands, the present-day
U.S. state of Oklahoma, entirely founding the brand-new Oklahoma City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Run_of_1889>
1911:
Tsinghua University ("The Old Gate" pictured), one of the
leading universities in mainland China, was founded, funded by an
unexpected surplus in indemnities paid by the Qing Dynasty to the United
States as a result of the Boxer Rebellion.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsinghua_University>
1969:
British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston won the Sunday Times
Golden Globe Race to complete the first solo non-stop circumnavigation
of the world.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Times_Golden_Globe_Race>
2004:
Flammable cargo exploded at Yongcheon Station in Ryongchon,
North Korea, killing 160 people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryongchon_disaster>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
crosswordese:
The jargon of crossword puzzle answers, classically consisting of rare,
archaic, or dialectal words.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crosswordese>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Enlightenment is man’s leaving his self-caused immaturity.
Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without the
guidance of another. Such immaturity is self-caused if it is not caused
by lack of intelligence, but by lack of determination and courage to use
one's intelligence without being guided by another. Sapere Aude! Have
the courage to use your own intelligence! is therefore the motto of the
enlightenment.
--Immanuel Kant
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant>