The dollar in your pocket has a hidden history. Behind President Washington's steady gaze lies an inheritance of struggle, exploration, and wealth — touching on four continents and five centuries. It all began in the 1500s in the Bohemia, a powerful kingdom that ruled much of the present-day Czech Republic. Central Europe was in the middle of a silver boon. Thanks to silver discovered in Germany, Austria, and Czech, the region was making a big switch in currency: Instead of using tiny gold coins to do business, merchants started using larger silver coins of an equivalent value. The best of these coins came from the ... (full story)