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Reverse of the quarter sovereign

The quarter sovereign is a British gold coin issued by the Royal Mint since 2009. It has been issued as a bullion coin and as a collector's coin. The smallest in the sovereign range, it has a face value of 25 pence. In 1853, the Royal Mint produced two patterns for a quarter sovereign for circulation, with one denominated as five shillings. These coins never went into production. In 1979, the Royal Mint began to sell sovereigns to those wishing to own gold coins, by the following year selling four different denominations, ranging from the half sovereign to the five pound gold coin. In 2009, a quarter sovereign was introduced as an extension of this range. It shares the same design as the larger coins, depicting Elizabeth II on the obverse, or since 2022, Charles III. Although there are some one-year designs, the one most often used on the reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's depiction of Saint George and the Dragon (shown), which was first used on the sovereign in 1817. (Full article...)

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In the news

Christopher Nolan

At the British Academy Film Awards, Oppenheimer wins Best Film and six other awards, including Best Director for Christopher Nolan (pictured).
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny dies in a penal colony near Kharp, at the age of 47.
In American football, the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl.
In association football, the Africa Cup of Nations concludes with Ivory Coast defeating Nigeria in the final.
Alexander Stubb is elected President of Finland.

On this day

February 20: Day of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes in Ukraine (2014)

Avro CF-105 Arrow

1685 – The French colonization of Texas began with the landing of colonists led by Robert de La Salle near Matagorda Bay.
1959 – Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker cancelled the Avro CF-105 Arrow (pictured) interceptor-aircraft program amid much political debate.
1970 – The Wat Phra Dhammakaya in Pathum Thani province, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Thailand, was founded.
1998 – At the age of 15, American figure skater Tara Lipinski became the youngest gold-medal winner in the history of the Winter Olympic Games at the time.

Wulfric of Haselbury (d. 1154)
Elizabeth Holloway Marston (b. 1893)
Gail Kim (b. 1977)
Tōru Takemitsu (d. 1996)

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Today's featured picture

Incense is an aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be used as a simple deodorant or insect repellent. This photograph of a worker manufacturing incense sticks was taken in the village of Quảng Phú Cầu, on the outskirts of Hanoi, by the Vietnamese photographer Trần Tuấn Việt. The sticks are set out to dry in bundles after being dipped in the incense solution.

Photograph credit: Trần Tuấn Việt

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