Sir Charles William Fremantle (1834–1914) was a British official who served for 26 years as deputy master of the Royal Mint, and for most of that time as its executive head. Educated at Eton College, he served as private secretary to several officials, latterly Benjamin Disraeli, including while Disraeli was prime minister in 1868. Disraeli appointed him as deputy to Thomas Graham, the master of the Mint. Graham died in September 1869, and the Treasury decided the mastership should go to the chancellor of the exchequer of the day, with the deputy master the head of the Royal Mint. Fremantle began work to modernise the antiquated Royal Mint. Fremantle sought to beautify the coinage and, believing the Mint's engraver, Leonard Charles Wyon, not up to the task, sought to do so by resurrecting classic coin designs, like Benedetto Pistrucci's depiction of Saint George and the Dragon for the sovereign. In 1894, at the age of sixty, Fremantle retired from the Royal Mint.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_William_Fremantle> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 919: Viking activity in the British Isles: A coalition of native Irish, led by Niall Glúndub, failed in their attempt to drive the Vikings of the Uí Ímair from Ireland. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Islandbridge> 1863: American Civil War: The Little Rock campaign ended with the Union Army capturing Little Rock, Arkansas. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock_campaign> 1914: HMAS AE1, the Royal Australian Navy's first submarine, was lost at sea; its wreck was not found until 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_AE1> 1989: Typhoon Sarah dissipated after causing extensive damage along an erratic path across the Western Pacific, killing 71 in Taiwan, the Philippines, and the Gotō Islands. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Sarah_%281989%29> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: set out one's stall: 1. To make publicly clear one's position with reference to a particular idea or philosophy, or what one can do. 2. To decide to do something. 3. To do something which creates a favourable impression. 4. (sports, originally cricket) To (decide to) play (especially to defend) in a determined manner. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/set_out_one%27s_stall> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day: The great difficulty of all schemes for leagues of nations and the like has been to find an effective sanction against nations determined to break the peace. I will not now discuss at length the difficulties of joint armed action, but every one who has studied the question knows they are very great. It may be, however, that a league of nations, properly furnished with machinery to enforce the financial, commercial, and economic isolation of any nation determined to force its will upon the world by mere violence, would be a real safeguard for the peace of the world. --Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Cecil,_1st_Viscount_Cecil_of_Chelwood> _______________________________________________ Wikipedia Daily Article mailing list. To unsubscribe write to: [email protected] Questions or comments? Contact [email protected]
