this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 18 points 1 day ago (9 children)

Gold has always been valued because it has some important attributes that few, if any, other substances have.

It won't tarnish or oxidize, so it will look just as shiny and beautiful a thousand years from now.

It is extremely malleable, easily crafted into any shape. It can be hammered thin enough to be a foil, or drawn into a wire as thin as a human hair.

It has a relatively low melting point, making it easy to cast.

It is extremely conductive, and is the conductive material of choice when price is no object.

There are other unique properties, but the point is that much of Gold's value derives from being significantly, even uniquely, different from most other substances, giving it an intrinsic value beyond its monetary value.

[–] ranzispa@mander.xyz 4 points 1 day ago (6 children)

How many things relevant in your life are made out of gold? I guess jewellery, computer and phone. Real things that matter to people the most are completely unrelated to gold.

The fact that it is a material that does not degrade makes it a good choice as a vector for value. It is good to be used as money for that reason. If you use iron as money it will eventually rust out and leave you broke.

The other properties of gold are quite irrelevant to the fact that it has been selected (over and over again through history) as a value vector.

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