Animals have been used on coins since… well, the beginning of coins. Deer appeared on early staters—some of the first coins. Greek and Roman coins featured an assortment of animals. But choosing an animal to symbolize an entire country on a coin can leave the population of that country collectively scratching their heads or inspired…. Read more »
It’s two years into the French and Indian War. British troops are being defeated at nearly every turn and resources are running low. Benjamin Franklin is desperate to ensure Pennsylvania, his home state, stays safe from French attacks. So he does what needs to be done during wartime. He raises money. The transfer of funds… Read more »
A brooch, a comb and some tweezers don’t seem like they are particularly interesting items. In fact, they can probably be found in many women’s bathrooms today. But archeologists found some of those items that were anything but ordinary on a recent dig. In what was once a Roman villa in Leicester, England, archeologists dug… Read more »
Imagine firing up your metal detector, waving it back and forth over the earth rhythmically. You hear the long-awaited ping, and begin to dig into the dirt, not knowing if you’ll find a tin can, or something a little more interesting. Now imagine discovering that ping was set off by a treasure from the 7th… Read more »
Over three thousand years ago, a jug containing what was likely a person’s life savings in silver was placed next to a wall and left there. Untouched. Until last year, that is. That’s when archeologists discovered the jug in the ruins of what is thought to be a tower outside the former Armean city of… Read more »
The story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition has special significance to all of us in Portland and Vancouver. On March 20th, the mint released the latest Native American $1 One Dollar Coin, commonly known as the “Sacagawea,” honoring Lewis and Clark’s journey through the Northwest Quadrant. The Corps of Discovery as it was known… Read more »
Upon reading a newspaper account of his demise, Mark Twain wrote to the New York Journal, “The report of my death was an exaggeration.” Much the same could be said about last year’s reports of the “end of the gold era,” which seem to have been way off the mark in light of the recent… Read more »
With the start of the Winter Olympics, the whole world has turned its eyes toward Sochi, Russia — and everyone is dreaming of gold. Here are some details about the tradition of awarding medals in Olympic history, as well as the lowdown on the gold, silver and bronze medals at this year’s Olympic Games in… Read more »
Diamonds have long been the world’s most precious gemstones, admired universally for their strength and beauty. And while the stone in your engagement ring or diamond necklace may be millions of years old, the odds are that it was recovered fairly recently from the depths of the earth in an African diamond mine. Since diamonds… Read more »
It’s been a fascinating year for the world’s most popular precious metal. From treasure hunters and hoarders to the possible end of quantitative easing, gold has been in the news constantly throughout these past 12 months. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 gold stories of 2013 (in no particular order): 1. Jesse… Read more »
