And if the currency could be counted on to hold its value over time, that made it a plausible platform on which to build new financial services.

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Last year, unsolicited bids counted for a third of the total by value, a huge rise.

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Davidson said it was his understanding that through clerical errors Operation Compassion double-counted the gift and then inexplicably boosted the value.

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The MoD can still offer certain niche capabilities that foreign allies - principally the US - still value, but these can be counted on the fingers of one hand, including special forces, precision bombing, and minesweepers.

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Not counted in its income and expense accounts: the value of donated labor, which is a central part of this charity.

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The businesses turn a modest profit, but only if the value of the owner's own time is not counted.

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Stock options did not have to be counted as expenses in companies' profit-and-loss accounts, and their value did not become apparent until they were exercised.

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