Italians have put up valuables as collateral for loans for centuries, through plagues and sieges. Today they do it as part of the formal banking system. And business is booming.
Tag: Gold
It’s 50 Below. The Past Is a Horror Show. You’d Dream of Escaping Too.
Best known as the most feared and frigid outpost of the Soviet gulag, Magadan struggles to keep its residents from fleeing. The ice cream isn’t enough to keep them.
In Indonesia, Outlaw Gold Miners Poison Themselves to Survive
One large mining company is trying to shut illegal operations, which use mercury. The small-scale miners say there’s no other way to earn a living.
Viking Treasure Could Have Made Them a Fortune. Instead, They Stole It.
Two British men who uncovered a 1,100-year-old trove were sentenced to years in prison for failing to report the find and selling the items piecemeal to dealers.
The Hidden Cost of Gold: Birth Defects and Brain Damage
Indonesia’s mercury trade is intertwined with illegal gold mining around the world, leaving a legacy of thousands born with birth defects and half a million people poisoned.
How Tainted Gold May Have Ended Up in Your Phone
A New TV Show from The New York Times on FX and Hulu
S&P and Dow Follow Global Markets Higher, as Investors Take Heart in Trade Thaw
A resumption of negotiations between Washington and Beijing lifted markets. Still, many doubt the two sides can reach a deal anytime soon.
Afghan Villagers Panning for Gold Die as Tunnels Collapse
At least 30 people were killed in Badakhshan Province after the makeshift tunnels where they were working collapsed because of heavy snowfall.
Brazil’s Far-Right Leader Wants to Scale Back Protections for Amazon
“Where there is indigenous land,” newly elected President Jair Bolsonaro has said, “there is wealth underneath it.”