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The Sacagawea dollar is a United States dollar coin which has been minted every year since 2000. The Statue of Liberty was originally proposed as the design subject, but Sacagawea, the Shoshone guide of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was eventually chosen. The coin features an obverse by Glenna Goodacre and a reverse by Thomas D. Rogers. The new dollar coin was heavily marketed via a series of print, radio and television advertisements, as well as United States Mint partnerships with Wal-Mart and Cheerios. The Mint initially planned to issue a 22-karat gold collector Sacagawea dollar in addition to the regular production, but this idea was quickly abandoned after the Mint's authority to strike the coins was questioned. Soon after initial production of the dollar, it was noticed that some of the coins were struck with the obverse of a state quarter and the normal reverse. The Sacagawea dollar did not prove popular with the public, and mintage dropped sharply in the second year of production. In 2009, the reverse of the Sacagawea began changing yearly, with each design in the series depicting a different Native American accomplishment. (more...)


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From Wikipedia's newest content:

Design of toilet

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  • In the news

    Yoshihiko Noda

  • The ruling Democratic Party of Japan selects Yoshihiko Noda (pictured) as the country's new prime minister, following the resignation of Naoto Kan.
  • Indian civil activist Anna Hazare ends his 12-day fast after the Parliament of India adopts a resolution to pass an ombudsman bill.
  • Tony Tan Keng Yam is elected President of Singapore.
  • Samples of asteroid 25143 Itokawa retrieved by the Hayabusa probe confirm that most meteorites originate from S-type asteroids.
  • On this day...

    September 3: Independence Day in Qatar (1971); Flag Day in Australia; Armed Forces Day in Republic of China (Taiwan)

    Photos of victims of the Beslan school hostage crisis

  • 863Byzantine–Arab Wars: The Byzantine Empire decisively defeated the Emirate of Melitene in the Battle of Lalakaon, beginning the era of Byzantine ascendancy.
  • 1942The Holocaust: In possibly the first Jewish ghetto uprising, residents of the Łachwa Ghetto in occupied Poland, informed of the upcoming "liquidation" of the ghetto, unsuccessfully fought against their Nazi captors.
  • 1950 – Winning the Italian Grand Prix, Giuseppe Farina became the first Formula One world champion.
  • 1991 – A fire killed 25 people locked inside a burning chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S.
  • 2004 – Russian security forces stormed a school in Beslan, North Ossetia, to force an end to a three-day hostage crisis, killing at least 334 of the over 1,100 hostages (photos of victims pictured).
  • More anniversaries: September 2September 3September 4

    It is now September 3, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page
    Calliphora hilli blowfly

    This close-up photo of a Calliphora hilli blowfly shows facial features that are common to all insects: compound eyes and two antennae (the latter are difficult to see, as many true flies have short antennae which reduces drag). Most insects, except some species of cave crickets, are able to perceive light and dark. Many species have acute vision capable of detecting minute movement, and many are able to detect light in the infrared, ultraviolet and the visible light wavelengths.

    Photo: JJ Harrison

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