"Happy 400th birthday to the world’s oldest bond"
Four hundred years ago — on New Year's Day in 1624 — drifting ice on the river Lek in the Netherlands smashed up a dike outside Utrecht. This was a pretty big problem in a country that is roughly one-third below sea level.
Soon, the region was flooded, with even Amsterdam threatened by the water. The locals eventually managed to staunch the flood, but they still needed to do a full, durable rebuild — which would be extremely expensive.
Fortunately, the Dutch were brilliant, sophisticated financial pioneers, and had developed the era's most vibrant bond market. The local water authority — called Hoogheemraadschap Lekdijk Bovendams — swiftly sold over 50 bonds that raised about 23,000 Carolus guilders to finance the repairs.
Automated Archives for December, 23rd 2024
This post was automatically generated.
Articles To Read
The following are articles that I saved today. Substance and quality will vary drastically.
- The Rich History of Ham Radio Culture
- The Story of John DeLorean’s Snowcat Factory Is Even More Bizarre Than the DMC-12
Chess For the Day
Record: 1-0-0
Net Elo Change: +6
Games Played
Blog Posts On This Day
- December 23, 2023 (11 posts)
- December 23, 2022 (11 posts)