During times of economic, social and political upheaval, gold and silver may hold their value where fiat currencies may not.

The unfortunate truth about the US dollar is that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. It’s simply a matter of economics and inflation. Because the assets of most people are dollar based, and not gold based, purchasing power is eroding over time.

However, the same is not true of precious metals. Since the early 1930’s, the price of gold has increased from approximately $30 an ounce to over $1,800 an ounce today. And the reality is you can buy more with $1,800 today than you could ninety years ago for $30 — so you’ve maintained and increased your purchasing power.

Precious metals such as gold and silver may provide a hedge in a potential economic downturn, as well as during sustained periods of rising inflation.

The ability to convert precious metals into any currency you choose, whenever you choose, anywhere in the world, is one of their many advantages. Gold and silver are great substitutes for paper currency because they are widely accepted at currency exchanges. Gold is a universally recognized currency standard. Because of this, it will always be liquid. Gold will always be tradable, even during periods of severe financial upheaval.

For thousands of years, people have built and preserved wealth using precious metals like gold and silver. In todays rapidly evolving economy, people believe that gold and silver are among the best ways to store wealth.

The worldwide demand for precious metals is as strong as ever. Central banks continue to purchase precious metals. Many industries use these metals in the production of medical devices, electronics, and many other consumer products. And large countries like China and India, with their exploding populations and cultural affinity for precious metals (especially gold), may continue to drive up the price of gold in the future.

Gold’s value is rooted in history and the global gold market. Gold is woven through every economy on the planet. Even though the cultural and financial factors driving gold demand vary from country to country, the ongoing demand for gold strengthens and stabilizes the gold market.

Gold has intrinsic value and has been used as money in every modern civilization for thousands of years. However, unlike paper currency, these resources are not limitless and are not under the control of any one government or financial institution. No government, regardless of how unstable the economy is or how urgently a boost is required, has the ability to produce or print precious metals like they do money.