The Delaware Tercentenary half dollar is a commemorative fifty-cent coin designed by Carl L. Schmitz and minted by the United States Bureau of the Mint to mark the 300th anniversary of New Sweden, the first successful European settlement in Delaware. Also known as the Swedish Delaware half dollar, the coin was produced by the Philadelphia Mint in March 1937, though that year appears nowhere on the piece. The obverse (pictured) shows Wilmington's Old Swedes Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches in the United States still standing, while the reverse features the ship Kalmar Nyckel, which carried emigrants to New Sweden. Schmitz won a competition to design the coin. The half dollars were sold to the public by the Delaware Swedish Tercentenary Commission for $1.75 each, and more than 20,000 coins were sold of the 25,000 coins minted for sale. The profits were used to help fund the tercentenary celebrations.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Tercentenary_half_dollar
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1521:
Ferdinand Magellan and members of his crew participated in the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Mass_in_the_Philippines
1800:
After fighting through the night the French Navy ship of the line Guillaume Tell surrendered to a British squadron in the Malta Channel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Malta_%281800%29
1930:
To avoid government censorship, Hollywood movie studios instituted their own set of industry censorship guidelines, popularly known as the Hays Code. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hays_Code
1942:
Second World War: Because of a mutiny by Indian soldiers against their British officers, Japanese troops captured Christmas Island without any resistance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Christmas_Island
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
unobtrusive: Not obtrusive; not blatant or noticeable; discreet, inconspicuous. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unobtrusive
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well. --Discourse on the Method https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Discourse_on_the_Method