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☆ 7 scientific breakthroughs that resulted from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Then, after a series of defeats in Egypt, Napoleon returned to France in 1799 and left many of the scientists stranded. At the time of Napoleon's invasion, travelers had long known of Alexandria, Cairo, and other parts of Lower Egypt. Just 21 and a botanist by training when he arrived in Egypt, Savigny collected invertebrates like worms, bees, spiders, snails, and flies. The Rosetta Stone helped Champollion discover how to decipher hieroglyphsFor centuries, no one could read hieroglyphs, the pictorial writing that covered many Egyptian monuments. When the French found the Rosetta Stone during their invasion, they knew it could serve as a kind of translation key.

Persons: Napoleon, —, Napoleon Bonaparte, Egypt that's, Claude, Louis, Berthollet, natron, Werner Forman, savants, Sand, Dominique, Vivant, Denon, Karnak, he'd, Savigny, Jules, César Savigny, De Agostini, Getty Images Savigny, Etienne Geoffroy Saint, Hilaire, Geoffroy, Charles Darwin, Evon Hekkala, Crocodylus, John Vetch, Vetch, Rosetta Stone, Champollion, Rosetta, Jean, François, Nicolas, Jacques Conté Organizations: Service, Institut, West, Universal, Egypt wasn't, Art Media, Getty Images, Getty, Science, Society Picture Library, Europe, France's, British Museum, Fox, Cairo . Science Locations: Egypt, Cairo, France, Natron, Limestone, Wadi El Natrun, Upper, Lower Egypt, Alexandria, Edfu, Thebes, Esna, Paris, Egpyt, Europe

☆ Dollar hangs at three-month low as traders eye PCE data
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

United States one dollar bills are curled and inspected during production at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. The dollar index , a measure of the greenback against a basket of currencies, was last at 103.11, its lowest since Aug. 31. The dollar was track for a loss of more than 3% in November, its worst performance in a year. Market expectation that the Fed's rate increase cycle has finally come to an end has also put downward pressure on the greenback. PCE tops off a slew of other key economic events this week, including Chinese purchasing managers' index data and OPEC+ decision.

Persons: Kyle Rodda, Tony Sycamore Organizations: Engraving, The U.S, Federal Reserve, Reuters, greenback . U.S, Fed, Traders, Australian, Reserve Bank of New, Bank of Japan, IG Locations: United, Washington, The, U.S, OPEC, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ A record number of $50 bills were printed last year. It’s not why you think
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Sergio Padilla | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Unless you’re an avid currency collector, an employee of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, or work at the Federal Reserve, you likely didn’t know that last year a record number of $50 bills were printed. Last year, the government printed 756,096,000 of those bills — the highest total of the denomination printed in one year in more than 40 years. In 2019, only 3.5% of all US bills printed were $50s. To understand why so many $50 bills were printed, it’s important to know how the system of printing money works. But, more likely, and more realistically, people tend to avoid using $50 bills due to them being confused with $5 or $20 bills and many stores not accepting bills larger than $20.

Persons: Ken Cedeno, Ulysses S, Grant, wasn’t, Patrick McHenry, Ronald Reagan, Bugsy Siegel Organizations: New, New York CNN, Engraving, Federal Reserve, Yum Brands, Inc, Eccles Federal, Washington DC, Fed, San Francisco Fed, US, North Carolina Republican, Centers for Disease Control Locations: New York, Washington, North Carolina, Vegas, United States

☆ Maps That Tell Their Own Stories
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Susanne Fowler | More About Susanne Fowler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Sunderland’s fascination with maps began at a young age. “His uncle had a map of Lancashire [England] and he could see all the little towns and villages,” Ms. Sunderland-Cohen said. And I think maps are just such an amazing expression of that.”The plan now, she said, is to keep the collection intact, but to share it with a wider audience. “There is an incredibly broad range of people around the world who are interested in maps because they’re such extraordinary objects,” she said. And then there are actual map experts, who look at where they sit in the history of European cartography, and what you can tell from different versions of atlases, and the very nitty-gritty scholarship side.”

Persons: “, Ms, Cohen, ’, ” Organizations: Sunderland, Boy Scouts Locations: Lancashire, England, Ethiopia, Europe, India

☆ Here's how to tell if your old $2 bills are worth anything
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Now, the United States Currency Auction, which allows people to sell rare US currency, lists some $2 bills as worth upwards of $4,500. But how can you tell if you have a valuable bill or a common one that isn't worth much? Bills that have red, brown, or blue seals printed between 1862 and 1917 could be worth up to $1,000, per IndyStar. Other serial numbers that would interest collectors are "solid" or "ladder" serial numbers. Solid serial numbers are all the same digit, and ladders have digits in ascending order, per MarketWatch.

Persons: —, you've, Thomas Jefferson, Dustin Johnston, Johnston, they've Organizations: Service, US, of Engraving, United States Currency, Bills, Heritage Auctions Locations: Monticello, Independence

☆ Dollar eases as traders bet Fed done with rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

United States one dollar bills are curled and inspected during production at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. The index is on course to clock a 0.3% drop for the week, just its third week of losses since July. The European Central Bank last week snapped a streak of 10 straight rate increases, with the discussion shifting to how long the rates would stay high. The Japanese yen was 150.41 per dollar, keeping traders nervy and looking for signs of intervention from Japanese authorities. The Australian dollar eased 0.19% to $0.642, while the New Zealand dollar fell 0.24% to $0.588.

Persons: Tapas Strickland, Flavio Carpenzano, Isabel Schnabel, Kazuo Ueda, Sterling Organizations: Engraving, U.S . Federal, NAB, Investor, Analysts, Fed, ECB, Investment, Capital Group, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan, Reuters, Bank of England, New Zealand Locations: United, Washington, U.S

☆ A drought in the Amazon uncovered ancient, eerie face carvings that look like emojis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A drought in an Amazon river has revealed prehistoric carvings reminiscent of modern emojis. AdvertisementAdvertisementA drought in the Amazon has revealed prehistoric carvings of faces that show a variety of expressions, from smiling to scowling, just like today's emojis. A picture shows a rock uncovered by the Amazon drought in the Lajes archaeological site on October 21, 2023. Rock carvings had been spotted before at the site, notably during another drought in 2010. But archaeologists had never before spotted the mysterious faces, Oliveira told Reuters Monday.

Persons: It's, —, MICHAEL DANTAS, Jaime Oliveira, Oliveira, Jaime de Oliveira, Beatriz Carneiro, Carneiro, " Ribeiro Organizations: Service, Getty Images, Brazilian Institute of Historical Heritage, Reuters, Agence France Presse, Getty, Praia das Lajes, AFP Locations: Manaus, Brazil, AFP, Iphan, Praia das

☆ 55-year-old whose backyard side hustle brought in nearly $20,000 in a month: ‘Anyone can do this’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It took Rodney Melton just over a year to build a six-figure side hustle. In March 2021, Melton started molding, engraving and selling headstones for pet memorials on Etsy. He'd long worked with concrete and stone as a hobby, while working 60 hours per week as a maintenance lead at Mars Pet Care. In May 2022, his Etsy shop brought in nearly $20,000, and Melton left his full-time job. Last year, the four-person operation brought in more than $207,000 on Etsy, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Persons: they've, Rodney Melton, Melton, Carlos, Molly, Kristen, We've Organizations: CNBC, Mars, Melton Locations: AskMakeIt@cnbc.com, Alma , Arkansas, Ozark, —, Melton

☆ 55-year-old spent $15,000 on his side hustle, quit his 60-hour workweek job—now he brings in up to $23,000 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Rodney Melton's grandchildren holding one of the pet memorials that he makes and sells on Etsy. It was a good living, says Melton, 55, but it doesn't measure up his earnings today making and selling pet memorials. A few initial orders turned into a handful of positive reviews, which turned into more orders. The store brought in $207,000 in 2022 revenue, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. At first, he only could only fulfill 16 Etsy orders per month.

Persons: Rodney, Rodney Melton Rodney Melton, Molly, Melton, there's Organizations: CNBC, Melton, Facebook Locations: Melton, Alma, Arkansas, Ozark

☆ $10,000 bill from Great Depression era sells for $480,000 at auction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A rare $10,000 bill dating back to the Great Depression has sold for $480,000 at auction. Issued in 1934, the Federal Reserve note was certified by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and was Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) graded, according to Dallas-based auction house Heritage Auctions. A rare 1899 double eagle $20 gold coin featuring a portrait of the head of Liberty topped the Coins auction. Heritage AuctionsTopping the house’s parallel coins auction was a rare 1899 double eagle $20 gold coin featuring a portrait of the head of Liberty. Only 84 coins of its kind were issued, and only about 30 are thought to still be around, according to the auction house.

Persons: Lincoln’s, Salmon, “, ”, Dustin Johnston, ” Johnston, Todd Imhof Organizations: CNN, Money Guaranty, Treasury, Heritage, Federal, Museum of American Finance, US, of Engraving, Liberty Locations: Dallas, Boston

In 2022 the bond market crash saw the value of central banks' Treasuries holdings plunge by $435 billion, Bertaut and Judson's estimates show. This doesn't suggest central banks are dumping Treasuries, be it for financial or political reasons. What's more, these figures don't account for what analysts describe as stealth or shadow central bank demand not included in the official data. Reuters Image Acquire Licensing RightsIt is undeniable, however, that the collective central bank footprint in the Treasuries market is nowhere near what it used to be. For now, central banks are still buying, just not as much as they used to.

Persons: Abraham Lincoln, Gary Cameron, chunky, Carol Bertaut, Ruth Judson, That's, Steven Englander, Judson, Lehman Brothers, Jamie McGeever, David Holmes Organizations: Engraving, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, of America, Bank of America, BANK, Standard Chartered, Treasuries, Fed, ICE, Treasury, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Rights ORLANDO , Florida, Beijing, China, Saudi Arabia, American Republic, North America, Belgium

☆ Last photos of doomed Franklin polar expedition party go on sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition to the Arctic captivated the Victorian public with its mysterious disappearance, fruitless rescue missions and gory tales of cannibalism. Commissioned by Franklin’s wife, Jane, this set of daguerreotypes – the first successful form of photography – represents the last ever photographs taken of the 14 men and was assumed to be lost until now. Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, taken from a painting by W. Thomas Smith exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1896. Historia/Shutterstock“Lady Franklin having the foresight to memorialize this really important and historic moment of this expedition about to begin, it is very poignant in retrospect, of course, because then they disappear,” Bierman said. But after two years without contact from the expedition, Lady Franklin pushed the Admiralty in London to send a search party.

Persons: John Franklin’s, Franklin, Sir John Franklin, Emily Bierman, Franklin’s, Jane, Sir John Franklin's, Thomas Smith, Shutterstock, Lady Franklin, ” Bierman, ”, Bierman, “, John Rae, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds Organizations: CNN, Royal Academy, Admiralty, Illustrated London, HMS, AMC Locations: London, Scottish

☆ The last photos of John Franklin’s doomed polar expedition party fetch over $545,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Editor’s Note: This article was updated with the final sale price and other details following the auction’s conclusion. London, UK CNN —Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition to the Arctic captivated the Victorian public with its mysterious disappearance, fruitless rescue missions and gory tales of cannibalism. Commissioned by Franklin’s wife, Jane, this set of daguerreotypes — the first successful form of photography — represents the last ever photographs taken of the 14 men and was assumed to be lost until now. Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, taken from a painting by W. Thomas Smith exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1896. But after two years without contact from the expedition, Lady Franklin pushed the Admiralty in London to send a search party.

Persons: John Franklin’s, Franklin, Sir John Franklin, Emily Bierman, Franklin’s, Jane, Sir John Franklin's, Thomas Smith, Shutterstock, Lady Franklin, ” Bierman, ”, Bierman, “, John Rae, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds Organizations: UK CNN, CNN, Royal Academy, Admiralty, Illustrated London, HMS, AMC Locations: London, UK, Scottish

☆ Why the first European paintings of Australian animals look so alien to our eyes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Janelle Evans | University Of Melbourne | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

To our modern eyes, the paintings lack the vitality and strength of the animals we are familiar with in Australia. So why did his paintings of the dingo and kangaroo — some of the earliest European representations of Australian animals — look so strange? "Pumpkin with a Stable-lad," a 1774 George Stubbs painting of the racehorse Pumpkin. But Stubbs’ kangaroo more closely resembles the rat-like Gerbua of Banks’ description than the creature we know today. My paintings of unfamiliar landscapes in Scotland and Ireland always seem to depict trees that look like eucalypts.

Persons: Joseph Banks, George Stubbs, Stubbs, ’ Stubbs, Banks, King George III, James Cook, “, King, ”, Sydney Parkinson, Kharbine, Captain James Cook, it’s, Janelle Evans Organizations: CNN, England, Endeavour, Royal, Society of Artists, Victorian College of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, The University of Melbourne, Creative Locations: England, Australia, Tahiti, Great Britain, London, Nations, Banks, Scotland, Ireland

☆ Dollar steady before Fed minutes, yen hovers below intervention zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

United States one dollar bills are curled and inspected during production at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington. The dollar index, which measures the currency against a basket of six major peers, including the euro and yen, was little changed at 103.02, after tracking between 103.75 and 102.75 since early June. The dollar hovered about half a yen below the 145 level that spurred intervention by Japanese authorities last autumn, after last week briefly popping as high as 145.07 for the first time since November. Australia's dollar was flat at $0.6690, holding on to the previous day's 0.32% advance. The yuan was little changed at 7.231 per dollar in offshore trading, following a 0.3% rise on Tuesday as it continued its rebound from last week's eight-month low of 7.2857.

Persons: Europe's, Shusuke Yamada Organizations: Engraving, Federal, Treasury, Bank of America, Ministry, Finance, Aussie, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: United, Washington, Tokyo, Beijing

☆ At Wimbledon, Not All the Artistry Is on the Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Shira Springer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“Seeing it lowered into place at Wimbledon, that touchdown point, was very emotional,” Reed said. Those commissions evolved into the artist program in 2006. For nearly two decades, a club committee has invited artists who work in a variety of mediums, including sculpture, painting, glass blowing, engraving, paper quilling, illustration and poetry, to create pieces that embody Wimbledon. Some of the artists are well-known with several prestigious commissions on their résumés, including work for the royal family. All have been based in Britain, though it’s not a requirement, and all have collaborated with club leaders on themes and tie-ins to tournament traditions.

Persons: ” Reed, ’ ”, it’s Organizations: Wimbledon, England Club Locations: Wimbledon, Britain

☆ World’s oldest architectural plans date from the Stone Age
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Archaeologists working in Saudi Arabia and Jordan say they have discovered the oldest known architectural plans. The Stone Age hunting traps date back about 9,000 years and are known as kites because of the shape they form. Archaeologists are shown during the discovery of the kite engravings at Jebel az-Zilliyat in Saudi Arabia. Engravings made to scaleThe engraved stone is shown at the JKSH F15 site in Jibal al-Khashabiyeh in Jordan. His colleagues in Saudi Arabia unearthed a larger engraved stone in the region of Jebel az-Zilliyat that was almost 4 meters (13 feet) long.

☆ 19 Unique Gifts for Women Who Have Everything
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +10 min

“There’s something a little decadent about wearing a matching cashmere set when you’re traveling by plane, for example,” Deyette notes. Note: The earrings can also be purchased as singles if you or your recipient like to mix and match. Constructed of 100% Australian sheepskin upper and footbed, they feel incredibly luxe and confer the benefit of breathable, moisture-wicking materials. “I love lighting this candle when I take a bath or just want to relax with a good book,” she says. It comes with a 72-ounce pitcher and an ice-crushing blade, as well as two single-serve blender cups for beverages on the go.

☆ U.S. government posts $378 billion deficit in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Gary CameronApril 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government recorded a $378-billion budget deficit in March as outlays outpaced revenues, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. That compared to a budget deficit of $193 billion in the same month last year, according to the Treasury's monthly budget statement. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast a $302 billion deficit for the month. When adjusted for calendar effects, the deficit for March was $305 billion compared with an adjusted deficit of $187 billion in March 2022. Unadjusted receipts last month totaled $313 billion, down 1% from $315 billion in March 2022, while unadjusted outlays were $691 billion, an increase of 36% from the same month a year earlier.

☆ The history of the swastika: From a sign of luck and fortune to a symbol of evil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The statue was discovered alongside a range of "phallic objects," suggesting the swastika was used as a good luck symbol to invite fertility. Swastika in EuropeWorshipers of the Norse religion used the swastika symbol as early as 401 AD. US art director Steven Heller, author of "Swastika: Symbol Beyond Redemption?" Co-opted by the NazisSome researchers believe that people of Aryan culture used the symbol as a sign of luck and prosperity. Sheetal Deo and her husband, Sanmeet Deo, hold a Hindu swastika symbol in their home in Syosset, N.Y., on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022.

☆ Etsy warns sellers of delay in processing payments due to Silicon Valley Bank collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Rob Wile | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Etsy is warning sellers that the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank on Friday is causing delays in processing payments, according to an email from the company shared with NBC News. "We wanted to let you know that there is a delay with your deposit that was scheduled for today," the email from Etsy said. "Please know that our teams are working hard to resolve this issue and send you your funds as quickly as possible." One affected Etsy seller told NBC News the deposits delay would have a "catastrophic" effect on his business. The FDIC has formed a separate entity where all insured SVB deposits — up to $250,000 per depositor — will be available by Monday morning.

☆ ‘Samuel Pepys and the Strange Wrecking of the Gloucester’ Review: The Nearly Sunk and Future King
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Henry Hitchings | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

There are three million shipwrecks scattered across the ocean floor. Only a tiny number of these have been explored. This 117-foot craft had sunk in May 1682 after hitting a sandbank, while carrying the Duke of York, the future King James II of England. But only in June last year was the wreck formally identified—and hailed as the most significant maritime discovery since Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose was raised in 1982. Another find is a silver teaspoon, with an engraving that suggests it belonged to one of James’s huntsmen, Thomas Jory, a “saucy fellow” who hid under a seat on a rescue boat as the Gloucester went down.

☆ Savers poised for 'biggest win' in 2023 as inflation falls. Where to put your cash now
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Xavier Lorenzo | Moment | Getty ImagesAs interest rates go up, 2023 is shaping up to be a good time for savers who stand to earn more money on their cash. As the unemployment rate hit a 53-year low in the latest jobs report, the interest rate increases are expected to keep coming. Online savings accounts tend to pay the highest rates, with rates like 4% or 4.5% becoming more common. Series I bonds have 'become a better deal'Series I bonds are accrual type savings bonds tied to inflation that are issued by the government. If you cash in the I bond in the first five years, you will lose three months' interest, McBride said.

☆ A heart-shaped pendant linked to Henry VIII was dug up on an English farm, pointing to a more romantic side to the Tudor king
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An amateur metal detectorist found a gold necklace linked to Henry VIII and his first wife. The locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and Katherine of Aragon. The heart-shaped locket is engraved with "H" and "K", the initials of the Tudor king and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. It is not known if the pendant belonged to Henry VIII, Katherine, or a courtier. Henry VIII is famous for his six marriages.

☆ Electric vehicles throw Palladium's mega-rally into reverse
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Peter Hobson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

(Graphic: Palladium's rally, )Powering the rally was rising demand from automakers who needed more palladium per vehicle to meet tightening emissions standards. Electric vehicles (EVs) that do not need palladium are gaining market share and automakers are substituting some palladium for cheaper platinum in combustion engine vehicles. (Graphic: Palladium supply from recycled vehicles, )That will shift the roughly 11 million ounce a year market to a surplus of nearly a million ounces in 2027, they said. (Graphic: Palladium market balance, )But it is too early to rule out short-term upward moves. (Graphic: Palladium speculators, )

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