GLISTENING FACTS ABOUT GOLD THAT MIGHT JUST AMAZE YOU

THE WORLD’S FIRST GOLD VENDING MACHINE

WAS UNVEILED IN MAY 2010. LOCATED IN AN

ULTRA-LUXURY HOTEL IN ABU DHABI, THE

VENDING MACHINE ITSELF IS COVERED IN

TWENTY-FOUR CARAT GOLD.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST GOLD BAR WEIGHS

250KG (551LB)

DUE TO BEING EXTREMELY RARE AND ITS

RIDICULOUSLY HIGH VALUE, MOST GOLD

DISCOVERED THROUGHOUT HISTORY IS STILL

IN CIRCULATION. FOR THAT MATTER, IT’S

ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT

OF ALL GOLD IN CIRCULATION HAS BEEN

EXTRACTED IN THE PAST HUNDRED YEARS

BOTH THE GREEKS AND JEWS BEGAN TO

PRACTICE ALCHEMY IN 300 BCE. THE SEARCH

TO TURN BASE METALS INTO GOLD WOULD

REACH ITS PINNACLE IN THE LATE MIDDLE

AGES AND RENAISSANCE

IN ANCIENT EGYPT, GOLD WAS CONSIDERED

THE SKIN OR FLESH OF THE GODS,

PARTICULARLY THE EGYPTIAN SUN GOD RA.

CONSEQUENTLY, GOLD WAS UNAVAILABLE

TO ANYONE BUT THE PHARAOHS, AND ONLY

LATER TO PRIESTS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF

THE ROYAL COURT. THE CHAMBERS THAT HELD

THE KING’S SARCOPHAGUS WAS KNOWN AS

THE “HOUSE OF GOLD.”

IN 1511, KING FERDINAND OF SPAIN COINED THE

IMMORTAL PHRASE: “GET GOLD, HUMANELY IF

POSSIBLE—BUT AT ALL HAZARDS, GET GOLD.”

GOLD IS EDIBLE IN SMALL PORTIONS. SOME ASIAN

COUNTRIES PUT GOLD IN FRUIT, JELLY SNACKS,

COFFEE, AND TEA. SINCE AT LEAST THE 1500’S,

EUROPEANS HAVE BEEN PUTTING GOLD LEAVES

IN BOTTLES OF LIQUOR, SUCH AS DANZIGER

GOLDWASSER AND GOLDSCHLAGER. ALSO,

THE MOST EXPENSIVE BURGER IN THE WORLD

INCLUDES FLAKES OF GOLD

THE VALUE OF GOLD HAS BEEN USED AS THE

STANDARD FOR MANY CURRENCIES. AFTER WWII,

THE UNITED STATES CREATED THE BRETTON

WOODS SYSTEM, WHICH SET THE VALUE OF

THE US DOLLAR TO 1/35TH OF A TROY OUNCE

(888.671 MG) OF GOLD. THIS SYSTEM WAS

ABANDONED IN 1971 WHEN THERE WAS NO

LONGER ENOUGH GOLD TO COVER ALL THE

PAPER MONEY IN CIRCULATION