The Indian Head eagle was an American ten-dollar gold piece, or eagle,
produced from 1907 until 1916, and then irregularly until 1933.
Beginning in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt proposed the
introduction of more artistic designs on US coins, prompting the Mint to
hire the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create them. Roosevelt chose
a design for the obverse of the eagle (pictured) that the sculptor had
meant to use for the cent, and for its reverse he selected a design
featuring a standing bald eagle, which had been developed for the
twenty-dollar piece designed by Saint-Gaudens. Following the sculptor's
death on August 3, 1907, Roosevelt insisted that the new eagle be
finished and struck that month, and new pieces were given to the
President on August 31. The omission of the motto "In God We Trust" on
the new coins caused public outrage, and prompted Congress to pass a
bill mandating its inclusion. The Indian Head eagle was struck regularly
until 1916, and then intermittently until President Franklin Roosevelt
directed the Mint to stop producing gold coins in 1933; many were later
melted down. Its termination ended the series of eagles struck for
circulation begun in 1795.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_eagle>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1813:
Peninsular War: At the Battle of San Marcial, the Spanish Army
of Galicia under Manuel Alberto Freire turned back Nicolas Soult's last
major offensive against Arthur Wellesley's allied army.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Marcial>
1897:
Thomas Edison was granted a patent for the Kinetoscope
(pictured), a precursor to the movie projector.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetoscope>
1935:
In an effort to stay out of the growing European conflict, the
United States passed the first of its Neutrality Acts.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Acts_of_1930s>
1959:
A parcel bomb sent by Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother and
chief adviser of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm, failed
to kill Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ng%C3%B4_%C4%90%C3%ACnh_Nhu>
1986:
Aeroméxico Flight 498 collided with a privately owned Piper
PA-28 Cherokee aircraft over Cerritos, California, killing 67 in the air
and 15 on the ground.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_Cerritos_mid-air_collision>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
kore:
An Ancient Greek statue of a woman, portrayed standing, usually clothed,
painted in bright colours and having an elaborate hairstyle.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kore>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
 I can't hate for long. It isn't worth it.
--William Saroyan
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Saroyan>