Those ancient Hindu temples with $45 billion in gold ~ they're still in India. Folks know where the gold is.
The Gold market is full of fraud and manipulation. Small gold coins are probably harder to counterfeit with titanium. The paper “gold” is probably as convoluted ad derivatives and as easily manipulated.
Shortage of precious metals. Shortage of ammo.. When do the food shortages start?
I was reading up on the possibility of the physical transmutation of mercury, which we have in abundance as waste from the oil companies, into gold, with the use of gamma radiation, and the conclusion reached was that the energy required would make the cost of the gold about $18,000/ounce.
However, this would be “basic science laboratory transmutation.” Technological production of transmuted gold could likely improve this efficiency considerably.
For example, the idea of gamma radiation passing through a single “thin sheet” of mercury, resulting in a small number of gold molecules, would be inefficient, since most mercury molecules would be missed. However, having that radiation pass through a thousand layered sheets raises the odds of a productive collision considerably.
http://www.tulving.com/goldbull.html
Tulving has much more in stock now. Hideous markups ($5/oz - usually at spot) for junk silver, but otherwise markups look like they have for years.
Anyone got scaled pic of a quarter ounce of gold? I'd be afraid it would fall into a crack in the drawer or something.
The phrase “paper gold” is funny.