Latest news with #symbol
CBC
21 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Round 1 of the search for B.C.'s Best Symbol wraps up
CBC convenes its B.C.'s Best Symbol panel to weigh in on how the first round of voting went, including surprises, upsets and what to look out for in the coming weeks.
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol looks at all things coastal
The totem pole is one of 16 symbols picked by readers for its association with coastal British Columbia as we roll out another round of choices for you to vote on in the ongoing search to find B.C.'s best symbol. Voting for the coastal choices will take place every Wednesday.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The tiny, hidden symbol on every dollar bill... but no one knows what it is
There is a strange little symbol hiding on every dollar bill, and no one can agree on what it is. Some say it's a spider. Others insist it's an owl. And for conspiracy theorists, it's a symbol tied to secret societies like the Freemasons or the Illuminati. The tiny shape, smaller than a grain of rice, sits just above the large '1' in the top right corner on the front of the bill. At first glance, it looks like a speck of ink. But under a magnifying glass, it appears to have a round head and small limbs. It's been there for nearly a century, but the U.S. Treasury has never explained what it is, or why it was included. There's no official record, no designer has claimed it, and no known purpose has ever been published. Currency experts say it's likely just part of the guilloche - the swirling, decorative pattern printed across the bill to prevent counterfeiting. But the shape near the '1' is slightly different from the others. It appears partially enclosed, making it stand out from the rest. But without a definitive answer, theories have flourished online. 'I hear it's Moloch, the owl god worshipped at Bohemian Grove,' one Reddit user joked. 'It must be true.' Another said, 'I was told it was a spider when I was young, long before I had internet access.' One person even wrote, 'That's an owl. It's a Freemason symbol.' Ralph Benko, chairman of The Capitalist League and an expert on currency history, said: 'The unknown engraver who designed the dollar bill took the secret, if there is one, to his grave. I fancy it as a tiny owl.' Financial websites like Sunmark Credit Union have also listed it among the dollar's many 'hidden details,' describing it as either an owl or a spider. Meanwhile, YouTubers and amateur sleuths have dissected the mark in videos, comparing it to similar flourishes on the bill, but nothing else quite matches the odd little blob near the '1'. Legally, the $1 bill's design hasn't changed since the 1920s, and by law, it can't be updated, meaning the mark has quietly passed from wallet to wallet, generation after generation, for nearly 100 years. Some tie the mystery to other well-known symbols on the bill, like the pyramid and all-seeing eye, both long associated with Masonic symbolism and secret codes. But there's no historical evidence linking the tiny figure to any society, just whispers and wild guesses. The psychological phenomenon at play is called pareidolia, when the brain sees familiar patterns, especially faces, in random images. It's the same reason people spot Jesus in toast or see faces on Mars. It is not a glitch. It is actually your brain working. Humans evolved to be hyper-aware of faces, because spotting them quickly helped with survival, whether it was recognizing a threat, an ally, or a potential mate. What is confirmed: the mark is not a printing error. It is not random damage. It is in the same exact spot on every single $1 bill, part of the original design approved by the Bureau Of Engraving And Printing nearly a century ago.
CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
The Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol
July 16 vote here until 10 p.m. PT About the contest: What best symbolizes British Columbia? Is it a majestic mountaintop, Okanagan wine, totems, a joyful orca, yoga pants, or perhaps a delicious plate of B.C. sushi rolls? From iconic food to local wildlife, legendary landmarks to West Coast pride, 64 symbols that best represent B.C. have made the cut. It's a sign of the times – vote each week and let us know what you think! From July 14 to August 13, channel your provincial pride and cast your vote in The Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: a 5-week long contest powered by your votes. This is your chance to shape our provincial identity, one symbol at a time. How to participate: From Monday to Thursday beginning July 14, we'll highlight a series of different symbols to represent B.C. on CBC Radio One and CBC Vancouver News, with features on Then it's up to you! Jump online and click on the daily voting link on this page to answer polls and vote for your favourite symbol. One by one, symbols will be eliminated based on your votes until the final one is crowned B.C.'s Best Symbol! Follow the hashtag #BestSymbolBC on social media and come back to this page Monday to Thursday to cast your daily vote!
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 1 — Nature
The geography and natural beauty of British Columbia have always sparked the imagination of people who have moved here — right down to one of its first colonial symbols. "Long before the Maple Leaf was an official emblem in Eastern Canada, B.C. had an evergreen tree ... being used on an official symbol," said Forrest Pass, a curator at Library and Archives Canada. The symbol in question was the Great Seal of Vancouver Island, and the part of a tree depicted was a pinecone, reflecting the many evergreen trees in the region. "Local flora and fauna, I think those symbols become more meaningful because they are aspects of people's everyday life. They're aspects of people's memories," said Pass. From trees to mountains, rivers to fruits, the unique natural aspects of British Columbia have long been powerful symbols of this province. But which one is the best? 64 Symbols, 1 Winner It's day two of the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol, a friendly vote to determine which iconic thing in this province represents us best. Voting will take place over several weeks. A series of one-on-one matchups will narrow the number of symbols from 64 to 32, 32 to 16, and eventually down to one champion: Animals (voting takes place on Mondays). Nature (voting takes place on Tuesdays). Coastal (voting takes place on Wednesdays). Provincial (voting takes place on Thursdays). WATCH | Here's how it works: After more than 50,000 votes on Day 1 in the animal section, today we look at symbols in nature — including three evergreen trees in the Sitka Spruce, Douglas Fir, and Red Cedar (with the Arbutus tree rounding out our tree quadrant). Pass says that while the vote may be an unscientific competition, it's also a unique opportunity to see what symbols resonate the most for people in this province. "As a historian, it's often difficult to tell how much particular symbols do resonate," he said. "When we do have these opportunities to see what the public thinks about symbols and see which ones do resonate, it becomes really interesting data for a future historian to look at it in 2025, and see what symbolized British Columbia to British Columbians." Voting is open until 10 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday. Happy voting!
