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Israel's early banknotes reflect the circumstances in which the country came into being. 

Bangladesh's New Banknotes: Another break from the past Image: Proposed New Designs of Bangladeshi Banknotes (Dhaka Tribune) Currency is not just a medium of exchange; it is also a reflection of national identity and political power. Bangladesh will be rolling out new banknotes this week – marking a departure from the past. Instead of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the nation’s founding father, the new banknotes will carry images of historical and archaeological landmarks (See image above). This change comes less than a year after the ‘regime change’ – the July 2024 revolution, which saw the ouster of Mujib’s daughter Sheikh Hasina,...

Gold is one of the two ways to preserve wealth across generations, and an asset that holds it value in times of uncertainty and unrest.  Gold prices have crossed yet another high in January 2025, crossing Rs 83,000/10 grams, up nearly 30% over the past year. If not for the 9% cut in customs duty in July 2024, the price would have been past Rs 90,000. Gold has long been favored by Indians to preserve wealth across generations – as per the World Gold Council estimates, Indian households hold an estimated 24,000 tons of gold – at the current market...

This article was originally featured in the Deccan ChronicleRising demand from solar power and electrical sectors has pushed up silver prices, making it an attractive investment avenue. Investors can invest in physical silver (via bars and coins) or exchange traded funds. The past few months been a nightmare for equity investors – with the benchmark Nifty delivering a return of just 5% over the past year. This has been ascribed to a host of factors – slowdown in the Indian economy, foreign investors withdrawing funds, shifting of assets to the US in anticipation of Trump tariffs. The bottomline – equity markets...

Is the Indian stock market over-valued? The answer may vary, depending on who you ask, and whether they are invested or holding cash. However, it is worth asking if it is the stock market going up, or is it money that is going down.Consider gold – historically used as a currency, it is now an ‘asset-class’ – an asset class that has been on fire for the past year. However, gold is not an investment; it is merely a store of value – something self-evident to anyone from 500 BC to 1945 AD. When we say ‘gold prices are up’,...