The heaviest modern gold bullion coin is Austria's Philharmonic. In 2004, the coin, which has a weight of 1,000 ounces (31.1 kilograms or 69 troy pounds or 828 troy ounces) and a diameter of 15 inches, was dubbed the world’s largest gold coin by Guinness World Records.
- The word "gold" comes from the Old English word "geolu," meaning yellow.
- There is more steel created per hour than there has been gold dug up throughout history.
- Around 161,000 tons of gold have been mined by humans.
- Gold can be found beneath the earth on all seven continents.
- It is believed that around 80% of earth's gold is still buried underground.
- There is an estimated total of 10 billion tons of gold in the world's oceans. That is 25 tons of gold for every cubic mile of seawater.
- 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 24-carat gold.
- Most western economies' currencies were on the gold standard until 1961.
- Switzerland was the last country whose currency was tied to gold. 40% of a Swiss Franc was backed by gold until Switzerland joined the IMF in 1999.
- The gold held at Fort Knox is accounted for by the United States as an asset valued at $44.22 per ounce.
- As of December 31, 1941 Fort Knox held 649.6 million ounces of gold.
- Today, Fort Knox holds about 147.3 million ounces.
- The size of a standard gold bar is 7" by 3 and 5/8" by 1 and 3/4"
- Alchemists believe they can change ordinary materials, such as lead, into gold.
- A carat was originally a unit of mass based on the carob seed used by ancient merchants.
- The most expensive gold coin in the world is the 1933 Double Eagle, which was sold at Sotheby's in New York in 2002 for $7.59 million.
- Elvis Presley owned three cars manufactured by Stutz Motor Company, in which every part that is normally chrome was converted to gold.
- Former Tyco International CEO Dennis Kozlowski bought a gold-threaded shower curtain worth $6,000.
- A noble metal, gold is prone neither to rust nor tarnish and does not form an oxide film on its surface when coming into contact with ai
- There are 92 naturally occurring elements found in the earth's crust. Gold ranks 58th in rarity.
- The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which is derived from the Latin word "aurum," which means "shining dawn."
- Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.
- The melting point of gold is 2,063 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gold is a great conductor of electricity.
- Gold is the most malleable and ductile pure metal known to man.
- An ounce of gold can be beaten into a sheet covering 100 square feet.
- In 1869, two Australians unearthed the world's largest nugget of gold, the "Welcome Stranger," which measured 10 by 25 inches before it was melted down.
- The largest nugget still in existence is the "Hand of Faith," found in 1980 in Australia. It is currently on display at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas.
- A gold nugget found in the earth can be three to four times as valuable as the gold it contains because of its rareness.
- In 2007, Canada made a 100 kilogram (3,217 troy ounce), 0.99999 gold coin with a face value of $1,000,000.
- Pure gold does not cause skin irritations.
- Some sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis receive injections of liquid gold to relieve pain.
- Olympic gold medals were pure gold until 1912.
- An ounce of gold can be drawn into a wire 60 miles long.
- Two thirds of the world's gold comes from South Africa.
- India is the world's largest consumer of gold today.
- South Asian jewelry is generally more pure than western jewelry, comprised of 22 carat gold rather than 14 carat.
- Gold is the state mineral of California and Alaska.
- 90% of the world's gold mining has been done since the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California in 1848.
- During the California gold rush, some speculators paid more for an ounce of water than they received for an ounce of gold.
- South Dakota and Nevada produce more gold than any other states.
- Scientists believe that gold can be found on Mars, Mercury, and Venus.
- The visors of astronauts' helmets are coated in a very thin, transparent layer of gold (.000002 inches) that reduces glare and heat from sunlight.
- The Aztec word for gold, "teocuitatl," was translated by Europeans as meaning "excrement of the gods."
- According to the legend of El Dorado (the gilded one), an Andean chief who was covered in gold dust would make offerings of gold into a mountain lake.
- Evidence suggests that around 5,000 B.C., gold and copper became the first metals to be discovered by man.
- King Croesus of Lydia created the first pure gold coins in 540 B.C.
- When Franklin Roosevelt raised the price of gold from $20.67 to $35 in 1934, the dollar immediately lost 40% of its value.
- Henry VIII, Diocletian and Nero were infamous gold debasers, mixing other metals into gold coins and decreasing their value.