From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From today's featured article
Reverse of the double sovereign
The
double sovereign
is a
gold coin
of the United Kingdom with a nominal value of two
pounds sterling
(£2). It features the reigning monarch on its
obverse
and, most often,
Benedetto Pistrucci
's depiction of
Saint George and the Dragon
on the reverse
(pictured)
. It was rarely issued in the first century and a half after its debut in 1820, usually in a new monarch's coronation year or to mark the institution of a new coinage portrait of the monarch. In addition to the usual coinage in Britain, specimens were struck at Australia's
Sydney Mint
in 1887 and 1902. Most often struck as a
proof coin
, the double sovereign has been issued for circulation in only four years, and few examples worn from commercial use are known. It is now a collector and bullion coin, and has been struck by the
Royal Mint
most years since 1980. In some years, it has not been issued and the Royal Mint instead placed gold versions of the commemorative
£2 piece
in the annual gold proof sets. (
Full article...
)
Did you know ...
Antimonumento 5J
- ... that the
Antimonumento 5J
(pictured)
was installed on 5 June 2023 to commemorate victims of police repression during the 2020 protests in response to the
death of Giovanni Lopez
?
- ... that
Cypress College
basketball coach
Don Johnson
, who was an
All-American
at
UCLA
, developed two players with minimal experience who later played for his alma mater and set records in the
NBA
?
- ... that
one of SZA's songs
name-drops such figures as
a boxer
,
a stand-up comedian
, and
Jesus
?
- ... that
Shushu/Tong
is a brand that creates fashion collections inspired by
magical girl
anime such as
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
?
- ... that
Peter Demetz
, who taught German literature at
Yale University
from 1956 to 1991, was born in Prague where he was persecuted under the Nazis and escaped the Communist regime in 1949?
- ... that
Herschel the sea lion
was defended by
Greenpeace
?
- ... that Taiwanese
long jumper
Lin Yu-tang
qualified for the
2024 Summer Olympics
by switching out his broken
track shoes
between attempts?
- ... that when
Yuba County's library
was built in 1906, it had a smoking room?
- ... that a municipal purchase of 177 motorcycles by
Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu
, the mayor of
Semarang
, Indonesia, caused a social media controversy due to media misreporting?
In the news
Dani Carvajal
On this day
June 5
:
World Environment Day
;
Jerusalem Day
in Israel (2024)
Antonio Luna
- 1897
? The Ancient Temples and Shrines Preservation Law was passed, instituting the protection of structures and artifacts in Japan designated
National Treasures
.
- 1899
?
Antonio Luna
(pictured)
,
Commanding General of the Philippine Army
, was assassinated in the midst of the
Philippine?American War
.
- 1997
? Anticipating a coup attempt, President
Pascal Lissouba
of the Republic of the Congo ordered the detainment of his rival
Denis Sassou Nguesso
, initiating
a second civil war
.
- 2004
?
Noel Mamere
, the mayor of
Begles
, conducted a marriage ceremony for two men, even though
same-sex marriage in France
had not yet been legalised.
- 2009
? After
almost two months of civil disobedience
, at least 31 people were killed in clashes between the
National Police
and indigenous people in
Bagua Province
, Peru.
Today's featured picture
|
The
Douglas fir
(
Pseudotsuga menziesii
) is an evergreen
conifer
species in the pine family,
Pinaceae
, which is native to western North America. They grow to a height of around 20 to 100 metres (70 to 330 feet) and commonly reach 2.4 metres (8 feet) in diameter. The largest coast Douglas firs regularly live for more than 500 years, with the oldest specimens more than 1,300 years old. The
cones
are pendulous and differ from true
firs
as they have persistent scales. The cones have distinctive long,
trifid
(three-pointed)
bracts
which protrude prominently above each scale. They become tan when mature, measuring
6 to 10 centimetres (
2
+
1
⁄
2
to 4 inches) long for coastal Douglas firs. This photograph shows a young female cone of the variety
Pseudotsuga menziesii
var.
glauca
(Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir), cultivated near
Keila
, Estonia.
Photograph credit:
Ivar Leidus
|
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