| "Through the ages, men and women have cherished | | | | most of the ancient civilizations, gold was equated with |
| gold, and many have had a compelling desire to amass | | | | gods and rulers, and it was sought in their name and |
| great quantities of it--so compelling a desire, in fact, that | | | | was dedicated to their glorification. |
| the frantic need to seek and hoard gold, has been | | | | Great human achievements are frequently rewarded |
| aptly named "gold fever"." | | | | with gold bullion, in the form of gold medals and |
| This metal is the oldest precious metal known to man. | | | | decorations. Ancient kings and emperors always used |
| It was among the first metals to be mined because it | | | | to offer gold as gift or award to those who had |
| commonly occurs in its pure form, not combined with | | | | performed great feats of bravery in wars and battles. |
| other elements. This metal has always been an | | | | Similarly, winners of athletic events and other such |
| obsession. Man desires it, and has gone to war for it. | | | | competitions are usually awarded with gold medals. |
| Ancient man linked gold to sun and believed that it was | | | | This metal is called a "noble" metal (an alchemistic |
| a source of great power. Since ancient times, this | | | | term), because it does not oxidize (gets rusty) under |
| metal bullion has been believed to have a perception | | | | ordinary conditions. Its chemical symbol Au is derived |
| of wealth. | | | | from the Latin word "aurum." In pure form, gold has a |
| The history of this metal begins in remote antiquity. It is | | | | metallic lustre and is sun yellow in colour. Another |
| not known when this metal was first discovered, but | | | | remarkable property of gold is that pure gold is |
| people have been using gold bullion to make jewellery | | | | chemically un-reactive. |
| since the Stone Age. This metal signifies wealth and | | | | Gold is a precious metal for coinage, jewellery, and |
| beauty. Artisans of ancient civilizations used gold bullion | | | | other arts. When paper money was introduced, it was |
| lavishly in decorating tombs, temples and palaces of | | | | in fact a receipt redeemable to buy gold bullion. In an |
| emperors. It is believed that proper gold mining started | | | | economic system known as the gold standard, a |
| as early as 4000 B.C. Around 3000 B.C. The Sumer | | | | certain weight of gold was given the name of a unit of |
| civilization of southern Iraq used gold bullion to create a | | | | currency. In 1792 the U.S. Congress adopted a |
| wide range of jewellery and other ornaments, often | | | | bimetallic standard (gold and silver) for the currency of |
| using sophisticated and varied styles. | | | | the new nation, with gold valued at $19.30 per troy |
| In 1500 B.C, this metal was established as standard | | | | ounce. After World War II, gold was replaced by a |
| medium for exchange in the international trade. During | | | | system of convertible currency following the Bretton |
| this time, different methods to test purity of gold bullion | | | | Woods system. |
| were devised. Citizens of Kingdom of Lydia (western | | | | The value of gold has been accepted all over the |
| Turkey) used gold coins for the first time in 700B.C. | | | | world since ancient times; it has been the most sought |
| During the Middle Ages, European armies looted Inca | | | | after metal since ever. |
| and Mayan civilizations to satisfy their thirst for gold. In | | | | |