The Kalākaua coinage is a set of silver coins of the Kingdom of Hawaii dated 1883. They were designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the United States Bureau of the Mint, and were struck at the San Francisco Mint. The issued coins are a dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, and dollar (pictured). No immediate action had been taken after the 1880 act authorizing the coins, but King Kalākaua was interested, and government officials saw a way to get out of a financial bind by getting coins issued in exchange for government bonds. The coins entered circulation in early 1884. After legal maneuvering by the business community in Honolulu, who feared inflation of the currency in a time of recession, the government agreed to use over half of the coinage as backing for paper currency. The coins were more eagerly accepted after the economy picked up in 1885. In 1903, after Hawaii became a territory, Congress called in the coins, replacing them with US currency.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%C4%81kaua_coinage

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1893:

First Matabele War: A patrol of British South Africa Company soldiers was ambushed and annihilated by more than 3,000 Matabele warriors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangani_Patrol

1909:

The Montreal Canadiens, the oldest professional ice hockey club in the world, were founded as a charter member of the National Hockey Association. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Montreal_Canadiens

1971:

Indo-Pakistani War: The Indian Navy launched a successful attack against the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, sinking three ships with no casualties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Trident_%281971%29

1978:

Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco's first female mayor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianne_Feinstein

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

conglomerate: 1. Clustered together into a mass. 2. (geology) Composed of fragments of rock, pebbles, or stones cemented together. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conglomerate

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Every new idea has something of the pain and peril of childbirth about it; ideas are just as mortal and just as immortal as organised beings are.   --Samuel Butler https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Samuel_Butler