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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ 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

___________________________ 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