The Draped Bust dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1795
to 1803, and again throughout the 19th century. The designer is
unknown, though the distinction is usually credited to artist Gilbert
Stuart. The model is also unknown, though Ann Willing Bingham has been
suggested. In October 1795, newly appointed Mint Director Elias Boudinot
ordered that the legal fineness of .892 (89.2%) silver be used for the
dollar rather than the unauthorized fineness of .900 (90%) silver that
had been used since the denomination was first minted in 1794. Due
largely to a decrease in the amount of silver deposited at the
Philadelphia Mint, coinage of silver dollars declined throughout the end
of the 18th century. In 1804, coinage of silver dollars was halted, and
officially ended in 1806 by order of Secretary of State James Madison.
In 1834, silver dollar production was temporarily restarted to supply a
diplomatic mission to Asia with a special set of proof coins. Officials
mistakenly believed that dollars had last been minted with the date
1804, prompting them to use that date rather than the date in which the
coins were actually struck. A limited number of 1804 dollars were struck
by the Mint in later years, and they remain rare and valuable.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draped_Bust_dollar>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
946:
King Edmund I of England was murdered by a thief whom he
personally attacked while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_I>
1637:
Pequot War: An allied Puritan and Mohegan force attacked a
fortified Pequot village in the Connecticut Colony, killing 500.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_massacre>
1822:
The deadliest fire in Norwegian history took place at a church
in Grue, Norway, with at least 113 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grue_Church_fire>
1828:
Kaspar Hauser (pictured), a foundling with suspected ties to
the Royal House of Baden, first appeared in the streets of Nuremberg,
Germany.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaspar_Hauser>
2008:
Severe flooding began in eastern and southern China that
ultimately caused 148 deaths and forced the evacuation of 1.3 million
people.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_South_China_floods>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
eyrie:
1. A bird of prey's nest.
2. Any high and remote but commanding place.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eyrie>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Why is it the Mongols of this world always tell us they're defending us
against the Mongols?
--Edward Whittemore
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edward_Whittemore>