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alchemy

(Encyclopedia)alchemy ălˈkəmē [key], ancient art of obscure origin that sought to transform base metals (e.g., lead) into silver and gold; forerunner of the science of chemistry. Some scholars hold that it was ...

money

(Encyclopedia)money, term that refers to two concepts: the abstract unit of account in terms of which the value of goods, services, and obligations can be compared; and anything that is widely established as a mean...

free silver

(Encyclopedia)free silver, in U.S. history, term designating the political movement for the unlimited coinage of silver. In 1896 free silver became the major issue of a presidential campaign when William Jennings...

Latin Monetary Union

(Encyclopedia)Latin Monetary Union. In 1865, France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland (joined in 1868 by Greece) agreed to regulate their national currencies on a uniform basis, thus making it freely interchangeable...

Rogue

(Encyclopedia)Rogue, river, c.200 mi (320 km) long, rising in SW Oreg., in the Cascade Range N of Crater Lake. It flows southwest and west through a fertile valley (noted for its orchard fruits) and then across the...

Tati

(Encyclopedia)Tati täˈtē [key], region, c.2,070 sq mi (5,360 sq km), NE Botswana. Nickel, copper, and manganese are mined in the region. Tati was a source of gold for centuries; mining ceased there in the early ...

Créteil

(Encyclopedia)Créteil krātāˈ [key], city, capital of Val-de-Marne dept., N central France, on the Marne ...

Uphaz

(Encyclopedia)Uphaz yo͞oˈfăz [key], in the Bible, country known for its gold. It is perhaps a variant of Ophir. ...

Val d'Or

(Encyclopedia)Val d'Or väl dôr [key], town (1991 pop. 23,842), SW Que., Canada, SE of Rouyn-Noranda. It is a mining center. Gold was discovered in the region in 1909; copper, zinc, lead, and molybdenum are also m...

Pactolus

(Encyclopedia)Pactolus păktōˈləs [key], small river of ancient Lydia, W central Asia Minor (now Turkey), joining the Hermus (modern Gediz) after passing Sardis. It was famous for the gold washed from its sands,...