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British Constitution and Connecticut Charter

The Connecticut quarter's reverse celebrates "The Charter Oak" tree, which proved to be a good hiding place. (NOT SHOWN
Connecticut
The Connecticut quarter, the last 50 State Quarters® Program coin issued in 1999, features "The Charter Oak": an integral part of Connecticut's heritage and existence. If not for the famed "Charter Oak", Connecticut - and this country in general - might be a very different place than it is today!
On the night of October 31, 1687, Connecticut's Charter was put to a test. A British representative for King James II, challenged Connecticut's government structure and demanded its surrender. In the middle of the heated discussion, with the Charter on the table between the opposing parties, the candles were mysteriously snuffed out, darkening the room. When visibility was reestablished, the Connecticut Charter had vanished. Heroic Captain Joseph Wadsworth saved the Charter from the hands of the British and concealed it in the safest place he could find - in a majestic white oak. This famous tree, "The Charter Oak," finally fell during a great storm on August 21, 1856.
In a press release issued February 3, 1998, Governor John G. Rowland announced the Connecticut Coin Design Competition. More than 112 citizens ranging from ages six to 87 from 46 cities and towns submitted design concept entries to the Connecticut Commission on the Arts. Nineteen entrants submitted renditions of the Charter Oak and five of those were selected and forwarded to the United States Mint. Following the required review and approval process, three designs were returned to Governor Rowland for consideration. The Connecticut Commemorative Coin Design Competition Review Committee, with the governor's approval, unanimously selected the Connecticut circulating quarter design. Twenty-three people from 18 towns received honorable mentions for their design concepts.
THE BRITISH CONSTITUTION
A constitution is a set of laws on how a country is governed. The British Constitution is unwritten, unlike the constitution in America, and, as such, is referred to as an uncodified constitution. The British Constitution can be found in a variety of documents. Supporters of our constitution believe that the current way allows for flexibility and change to occur without too many problems. Those who want a written constitution believe that it should be codified so that the public as a whole has access to it – as opposed to just constitutional experts who know where to look and how to interpret it.
Amendments to Britain’s unwritten constitution are made the same way – by a simply majority support in both Houses of Parliament to be followed by the Royal Assent.
The British Constitution comes from a variety of sources. The main ones are:
• Statutes such as the Magna Carta of 1215 and the Act of Settlement of 1701.
• Laws and Customs of Parliament; political conventions
• Case law; constitutional matters decided in a court of law
• Constitutional experts who have written on the subject such as Walter Bagehot and A.V Dicey.
There are two basic principles to the British Constitution:
• The Rule of Law
• The Supremacy of Parliament

posted by James E. Opfell @ 8:45 PM