As the U.S. economy struggles to recover from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, citizens across the country are searching for alternative investment vehicles. Many are finding solace in a precious metal that has been a universal measure of wealth since early civilization: gold. Investment brokers and novices alike are reaping the benefits that come with diversifying their investments. Gold’s value is determined by a number of factors including the volume of the metal held by prosperous countries, the rarity of the metal as it is refined, and current market trends, such as inflation and the movement of the investment market. In 1910, gold was worth $20 an ounce; a century later, in 2010, the value of gold reached nearly $1,120 an ounce.This book discusses where the value of these metals first originated and how they have evolved over the course of human history. You will learn how practical uses of precious metals have directly affected their value over time and how metals like gold and silver are direct indicators of the current state of the economy.