[AdamSelene235]

But gold is easy to fake (electroplating, et al). You can buy 1 ounce "gold" U.S. double eagle coins today for $20, and those coins would fool many a gold bug, as would gold plated watches and various faux jewelry.

Aqua Regia or a simple density test will catch both cases in under 60 seconds with very little cost.

[Southack]

"Aqua Regia or a simple density test will catch both cases in under 60 seconds with very little cost."

Neither of those methods has widespread "buy in" acceptance by the public, and both of those methods present time and financial transaction costs in front of ever using gold as a currency again (as in, the strippers who are lap dancing and pouring my drinks aren't going to accept anything that takes time and more money/effort to verify than what they've already got in play).

That's NOT the direction that our world is moving. We aren't going to SLOWER and more costly mediums of exchange, but rather, we are moving towards ever faster, ever more efficient mediums (e.g. cash, credit cards, wire transfers, digital cash, etc.).