Description

A piedfort is an unusually thick coin, often exactly twice the normal weight and thickness of other coins of the same diameter and pattern. Piedforts are not normally circulated, and are only struck for presentation purposes by mint officials (such as patterns), or for collectors, dignitaries, and other VIPs.

Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902–1974) was an American aviator and military officer renowned for his groundbreaking solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927. Flying the Spirit of St. Louis, Lindbergh covered 3,600 miles in 33.5 hours, earning the Orteig Prize and international fame. This historic flight revolutionized aviation, fostering global interest in commercial air travel and air mail.

For his transatlantic flight, he received numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Medal of Honor, and France's Legion of Honor. Lindbergh's achievements sparked the "Lindbergh boom" in aviation. Despite his controversial non-interventionist views before World War II, he supported the war effort after Pearl Harbor, flying combat missions as a civilian. Later, he became a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and environmentalist.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan was established by the Peshawar Accords on April 26, 1992, with the participation of many Afghan mujahideen parties after the fall of the socialist government. However, its power was limited due to the country's second civil war, which the Taliban won, capturing Kabul in 1996. Consequently, the Islamic State became a government in exile and led the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. It remained the internationally recognized government of Afghanistan at the United Nations until 2001. After the overthrow of the first Taliban government, the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan was created, and an Afghan Interim Administration took control with US and NATO assistance. This transitional state later became the Islamic Republic, which lasted until the Taliban regained power in 2021 following a prolonged insurgency.