The half sovereign is a British gold coin denominated at one-half of a
pound sterling. It was first struck in 1544, but was discontinued after
1604. In 1817, as part of the Great Recoinage, half sovereigns and
sovereigns were reintroduced. Until the half sovereign was discontinued
as a currency coin, it was struck in most years and circulated widely.
In addition to being coined in London, it was struck at the colonial
mints in Australia and South Africa. It was replaced in Britain from
1914 by paper currency, and was discontinued in Australia in 1920 and
South Africa in 1926. After that, it was struck in the coronation years
of 1937 and 1953. It has been struck for sale by the Royal Mint as a
collector's piece since 1980, and as a bullion coin since 1982; it does
not circulate due to the value of the gold it contains. In addition to
the portrait of the reigning monarch, the coin features in most years an
image of Saint George and the Dragon, designed by Benedetto Pistrucci.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_sovereign>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1928:
An American in Paris, a jazz-influenced orchestral piece by
George Gershwin, premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_in_Paris>
1960:
With Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, out of the country,
four conspirators staged a coup attempt to install Crown Prince Asfaw
Wossen on the throne.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Ethiopian_coup_attempt>
1991:
Croatian War of Independence: The Croatian Army retreated after
the failure of Operation Whirlwind, destroying their tanks to avoid
their capture.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Whirlwind>
2013:
Beyoncé released her fifth studio album without any prior
announcement or promotion; it sold 2.3 million copies before the end of
the year.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9_%28album%29>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
buckle:
1. A metal clasp with a hinged tongue or a spike through which a belt or
strap is passed and penetrated by the tongue or spike, in order to
fasten the ends of the belt together or to secure the strap to something
else.
2. (by extension) Some other form of clasp used to fasten two things
together.
3. (Canada, heraldry) An image of a clasp (sense 1) used as the brisure
of an eighth daughter.
4. A great conflict or struggle.
5. (countable) A distortion; a bend, bulge, or kink.
6. (roofing) An upward, elongated displacement of a roof membrane,
frequently occurring over deck joints or insulation, which may indicate
movement of the roof assembly.
7. (countable, Canada, US, baking) Usually preceded by a descriptive
word: a cake baked with fresh fruit (often blueberries) and a streusel
topping.
8. (countable, obsolete) A curl of hair, especially a kind of crisp curl
formerly worn; also (countable, uncountable), the state of hair being
curled in this manner.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/buckle>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
If our animosities are born out of fear, then confident
generosity is born out of hope. One of the central lessons I have
learned after a half century of working in the developing world is that
the replacement of fear by hope is probably the single most powerful
trampoline of progress.
--Aga Khan IV
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aga_Khan_IV>