| Gold has always had a value because it is a real | | | | and created a growth in the market, taking gold |
| commodity. When it was first used as a way to | | | | back up in price to more than $715 per ounce in |
| buy and sell items, and turned into a legal form of | | | | 2006 and to an all time high of over $1,000 in |
| currency for both domestic and international use, | | | | March of 2008. |
| there was a standard set on the value of that | | | | Today, the price of gold changes every day, just |
| gold, and the face value of it was the same | | | | as the prices of company stocks in the markets. |
| across the board in most cases. | | | | However, by taking the time to learn how to |
| The price of gold has varied throughout the | | | | effectively invest in gold, you can have a great |
| years, hitting many highs and lows as it is | | | | store of wealth for yourself or your family |
| invested in, but once the 20th century came | | | | without even having to actually hold any gold in |
| along, gold was no longer taken at face value | | | | your hands. You can visit a bank or buy from a |
| because it had been replaced by the U.S. paper | | | | reputable dealer and purchase the gold that you |
| dollar whose value was measured for many years | | | | want to invest in and keep it locked away |
| based on the gold standard. | | | | somewhere safe such as a safety deposit box |
| The gold standard was a way to determine the | | | | for years to come. However, you can also simply |
| price of gold, as well as the value of other | | | | invest in the gold stocks like you would with any |
| currencies that compared to it. In 1971, the U.S. | | | | other commodity, and allow your investment to |
| decided to no longer use that standard to denote | | | | rise and fall with the changing market, having to |
| the value of a dollar, which caused gold prices to | | | | not physically keep any gold on hand. |
| rise increasingly, hitting an all-time high of $850 per | | | | Gold coin collecting has also changed the price of |
| ounce in 1980. By 1999, the gold markets had lost | | | | gold dramatically for many because rare coins and |
| much interest in the investing of this precious | | | | gold coin collecting have become such a popular |
| metal, causing it to drop significantly to less than | | | | hobby and investment strategy. Many who have |
| $253 per ounce, which was a dramatic change. | | | | only one or two rare coins may have a far better |
| Although investors were greatly affected by this | | | | investment in gold than those who have hundreds |
| price decrease, people still continue to invest in | | | | or thousands of dollars invested in the stock |
| gold because of its high use in industry, medicine, | | | | market and gold stock. As always, you should |
| jewelry and other markets. Fortunately for | | | | choose your investments wisely. |
| investors, 2001 saw a new era for gold investing, | | | | |