price of gold

The Case For Gold Has Nothing To Do With Its Price

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THE CASE FOR GOLD

The case for gold is straightforward…

Gold is a proven long-term store of value that retains its purchasing power over extended time periods. When used as money (medium of exchange and measure of value), gold acts as a restraint on a government’s propensity to overspend. Also, using gold as money – without government intervention – guarantees price stability.

Gold is practical and convenient, and was money before fiat currencies. Goods and services were priced in ounces and fractional units of gold (grams, grains, etc.). Because the supply of gold is relatively stable and reasonably scarce, the threat of inflation is greatly reduced, although not eliminated. (see Even Gold Is Subject To Inflation)

Gold is not issued by a government or central bank, so it carries no default risk and is immune to political manipulation.

As if that were not enough, gold has additional (secondary) value because it is desired and used for ornamentation and jewelry.

Lots of things have been used as money. Only gold has stood the test of time. Gold’s universal acceptance is independent of government policy or intervention.

Notice that, so far, we have not said anything at all about the price of gold. When gold was the circulating medium of exchange, there was no price for gold. Gold, itself, was the measure of value for everything else.  How much gold you held – not its price – was indicative of your purchasing power, or wealth.

In other words, the gold price has nothing to do with gold’s fundamental value, i.e., its use as money.

HISTORY OF GOLD AS MONEY 

Gold emerged as the money of choice through competition.  Many other things (beads, grains, various industrial metals, etc) were tried throughout history.  For one reason or another, they didn’t work consistently over longer periods of time.

The first gold coins appeared around 560 B.C.  Over time, it became a practice to store larger amounts of gold in warehouses.  Paper receipts were issued certifying that the gold was on deposit.  These receipts were negotiable instruments of trade and commerce, which could be signed over to others.  They were not actual currency but were a presumed forerunner to our modern checking system.

The warehouse proprietors (‘bankers’) decided they needed to find a way to increase their profits.  Earning fees from their depository and safekeeping services wasn’t enough.  Since most of the gold remained in storage and most transactions involved exchange or transfer of paper receipts for the gold on deposit, they decided to issue ‘loans’ of the gold/money to others and charge interest.  The cumulative amounts of gold loaned out could not exceed the amount of gold held in storage.  Hopefully, not too many depositors would ask to redeem their physical gold at the same time.

By this time, there were reasonable indications of just how much gold needed to be kept available to meet the ongoing, day-to-day withdrawal demand.  The warehouses (banks) began issuing loans in the form of receipts backed by the gold held on deposit. That shouldn’t be a problem as long as people continue to trade with their paper receipts. Occasional redemptions of receipts (withdrawals of gold from storage) were met with smiling faces – business as usual.

It seemed to be a workable system.  But apparently, the ‘bankers’ were not content.  They soon started issuing more loans/receipts for gold that did not exist.  Of course, they saw no need to inform anyone of their actions, and the receipts still stated that they were redeemable in fixed amounts of gold.  And when some wanted to take possession of their gold on a physical basis, they could still do so – up to a point.

Questions arose, however, as to the value of the receipts. More and more individuals, companies, and countries opted for real money – gold.  There simply wasn’t enough gold to meet the redemption demands.

As late as the early twentieth century, U.S. paper currency was issued with a clear statement specifying that it was redeemable for specific amounts of gold (and silver) at fixed rates.  In addition, gold (and silver) circulated concurrently with U.S. paper currency and were interchangeable.  One was as good as the other. Supposedly.

In 1933, President Roosevelt issued an executive order “forbidding the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States”.  Then, in 1971, President Nixon suspended convertibility of the U.S. dollar into gold by foreign nations.

For more than half a century, there has been no fixed convertibility of U.S. dollars (i.e., fiat currency) into gold (i.e., real money).

THE PRICE OF GOLD

The price of gold in dollars is an inverse reflection of the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar. Under the watchful eye of the Federal Reserve, the U.S. dollar has lost more than 99% of its purchasing power.

The dollar’s loss of purchasing power results in higher prices for goods and services. The gold price reflects the dollar’s loss of purchasing power by continually rising over time, albeit irregularly and in a volatile fashion.

Of particular note is that increases in the gold price come after the effects of inflation have worked their way into economic activity and are readily apparent.   The huge increase in the gold price from $35 oz. to $843 oz. happened over nearly a decade (1971-80) and was reflective of the loss of dollar purchasing power that had occurred over the previous several decades.

The phenomenally huge increase, however, was followed by huge declines. Eventually, more than thirty years later (2011), the gold price peaked again, this time at $1895 oz.

The gold price had more than doubled from its peak in 1980, but the huge price increase did not mean that gold was more valuable. In fact, the value, or buying power of gold at $1895  oz. in 2011 was consistent with its value in 1980 at $843 oz.

Similarly, what one can buy with an ounce of gold today at $3700 is comparable to what one could buy with an ounce of gold in 1980 at $843.

Since 1980, prices have risen more than fourfold. An upscale, new car at $16-18k in 1980 was the equivalent of approximately 20 ounces of gold ($843 times 20 = $16,860). A comparable vehicle today costs closer to $70-75k, and can still be purchased with 20 ounces of gold ($3700 times 20 = $74,000).

CONCLUSION 

The case for gold is the same today as it was centuries ago. Gold is real money; honest money. The price of gold tells us nothing about gold. The gold price tells us the extent to which the dollar has lost purchasing power.

Similarly, it does not matter whether gold is priced in dollars, yen, euros, yuan, etc. The price of gold in any fiat currency is nothing more than a reflection of  changes in the value of that particular currency.

Higher prices notwithstanding, the value of gold remains constant and unchanging. (also see Gold’s Singular Role)

Kelsey Williams is the author of two books: INFLATION, WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T, AND WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT and ALL HAIL THE FED

“Will Gold Hit $3460?” – Followup

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In mid-March, I wrote the following:

“The U.S. dollar has lost approximately 75% of its purchasing power since 1980. What this means is that it costs about four times as much today for comparable goods and services as it did in 1980. 

In order for the gold price to fully reflect the loss in USD purchasing power, it would need to be $3460 oz. today. As it is, gold is priced at $3045 oz.,  more than $400 oz. cheaper than its inflation-adjusted high in 1980.” 

The intraday high for gold in January 1980 was $843 oz. The current inflation-adjusted equivalent of $843 oz. is $3463 oz. In my original article, I rounded the number to $3460 for simplification.

In conclusion, I asked:

“Will gold reach $3460? It’s possible. A 14% surge from here would do it.”

The answer came quickly as gold surged in price by more than $400 oz. in April. The price action is shown on the chart (source) below…

Live gold chart

The gold price did not reach $3460, but has peaked now, on three occasions, just above the $3430 mark.

Practically speaking, though, it is reasonable to say that gold has now matched its intraday price peak of $843 oz. in 1980.

Where Do We Go From Here? 

After its recent peak at $3435 in April, the gold price declined to $3171, a drop of more than 7%. After last week’s action, gold appears to be headed back to the same level.

Beyond that, the gold price could easily fall back to $3000 oz. or lower.

The upside barrier for the gold price could be more important that any downside price targets. In other words, the gold price is not likely to push through $3500 very soon, regardless of how well it is supported at current prices or lower.

Gold’s higher price over time is a reflection of the U.S. dollar’s loss of purchasing power. It is not a question of “how high can gold go?” but rather “how much purchasing power has the dollar lost?”

Once the gold price reaches a point that reflects the dollar’s loss of purchasing power up to that point, it has gone about as far as it can go, for the time being.

Afterwards, the price can decline or go nowhere for years. This can be seen on the chart (source) below…

 

The increase in the gold price from $35 oz. in 1970 to $843 oz. in January 1980 reflected the effects of inflation on the dollar’s purchasing power over the previous four decades. After finding its inflation-adjusted price, gold declined.

The gold price peak of $1895 oz. in 2011 accounted for the effects of inflation after 1980 and up until 2011. Thereafter, the price declined for nearly five years.

The recent gold price peak at $3435 oz. reflects the dollar’s loss of purchasing power since its 2011 peak at $1895.

All three periods of increasing gold prices were approximately ten years in length (1970-80; 2001-2011, 2015-25). The first two periods (1970-80; 2001-2011) were followed by multi-year declines.

Time will tell us if something similar happens this time.

CONCLUSION 

Gold’s recent price peak at $3435 oz. likely represents the culmination of its latest inflation-adjusted advance. With the dollar’s loss of purchasing power fully accounted for, history suggests that gold could enter a prolonged period of stagnation or decline, much like what happened after the 1980 and 2011 peaks.

A drop below $3000 oz. wouldn’t be surprising. For now, gold appears to have exhausted its momentum. (also see Gold, Silver, & Gold Stocks Since 2011 – Gold Kills It!)

Kelsey Williams is the author of two books: INFLATION, WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T, AND WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT and ALL HAIL THE FED

Descending Price Peaks In Latest Gold Charts

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The latest gold charts are pictured below and show a series of descending price peaks dating back to 1980. There are four charts. The first two charts are for the period following the August 2011 peak. The third and fourth charts are for the period after the gold price peaked in 1980. Prices on all charts are monthly average closing prices.

For example, the average closing price for gold in the month of January 1980 was $677 oz. This price ($677) is shown on Chart #3 below. During that same month, the intraday high for gold was $843 oz. The spike in price above $800 was very short-lived and not a reliable indicator of where gold traded during the month of January 1980. Average closing prices are more representative and more realistic for comparative purposes and analyses.

There are two charts for each time period. The first chart plots nominal prices; the second chart shows inflation-adjusted prices. Here is the first chart…

#1 Gold Prices August 2011-June 2024

The average closing price for gold in August 2011 was $1825 oz. After declining for more than four years, the gold price bottomed at $1060 oz. and began rising. The 2011 high was eclipsed and a new high price for gold was set at $1971 oz. in July 2020. After a sharp decline in 2022, the price of gold rose to another new high of $2327 oz., which is also the current closing price on June 28, 2024. The gold price has more than doubled (119%) since its December 2015 low.  That is quite impressive, but, there are some caveats.

Gold’s recent price performance, in total, looks very good if you are short-term oriented. The shouts of joy might be a bit overdone, though, if you have been holding gold since its peak in 2011. In that case, the total price increase for the entire thirteen-year period is only 27%. That is an annualized gain of 1.86%, which is more indicative of a slow-moving wagon, rather than a rocket ship in blastoff mode.

The numbers in both cases are made worse when the effects of inflation are factored in…

#2 Gold Prices (inflation-adjusted) August 2011-June 2024

In Chart #2, the effects of inflation have turned the 2011 high and subsequent new highs in 2020 and 2024 into a series of descending peaks. Each successive peak almost matches, but doesn’t quite reach the previous high point. The total gain of 119% referenced in Chart #1 is almost halved, down to 66%. The meager nominal price increase of 27% is now a net loss (-8%). The $1825 oz. nominal price peak in 2011 correlates to a real (inflation-adjusted) price of $2529 oz. in today’s cheaper dollar(s),

Now, let’s look at gold’s price performance over a longer time period. Here is Chart #3…

#3 Gold Prices January 1980-June 2024

When the gold price peaked in January 1980, it correlated to the effects of inflation that had depleted U.S. dollar purchasing power by 97% over the previous half-century. At $677 oz., the gold price was thirty-three times higher than it was when gold and the dollar were interchangeable, i.e., convertible, at a fixed ratio of $20.67 per ounce. The next major peak for the gold price was in 2011 at $1825 oz., followed by 2020 and 2024. Now, lets look at inflation-adjusted prices dating back to 1980…

#4 Gold Prices (inflation-adjusted) January 1980-June 2024 

In Chart #4, the ever-ascending nominal price increases shown previously in Chart #3 are more severely subdued when the effects of inflation are factored in. In addition, both volatility and time become more apparent.  While the nominal price of gold continues to rise reflecting actual loss of purchasing power in the U.S. dollar, the gold price in real (inflation-adjusted) terms has yet to exceed any of its previous price peaks; and likely never will. That is because gold’s value is in its use as money and is basically constant.

Each price peak in gold beginning in 1980 and including the peaks in 2011, 2020, and 2024 is a reflection of the intervening loss of purchasing power in the U.S. dollar since the previous peak.

CONCLUSION 

After allowing for the effects of inflation, an ounce of gold at $2400 today is no more valuable than it was at $2000 in 2020, or $1825 in 2011, or $677 in 1980. For that matter, the purchasing power of one ounce of gold is the about the same today as it was a century ago when it was priced at $20.67. In other words, if you bought gold at any of those prices and held it until now, you do not have real profits. The higher gold price is not a profit. It represents the dollar’s loss of purchasing power. (There are possible short-term trading opportunities for traders. See Understanding Profit Potential In Gold)

Gold is real money and a long-term store of value. Holding gold provides a measure of protection against depreciating currencies. Over time, the increasing price of gold matches the loss of purchasing power in the U.S. dollar that has already occurred. (also see Gold Has Done It’s Job – Isn’t That Enough?)

Kelsey Williams is the author of two books: INFLATION, WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T, AND WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT and ALL HAIL THE FED

Gold Is LITERALLY Priceless

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GOLD IS PRICELESS

Over 5000 years of recorded history, gold has proven itself to be real money. Gold’s value is in its use as money. That value is unquestioned.

Whatever arguments are put forth against gold’s use as money are attempts by government to free itself from the restrictions that gold imposes. Gold, when used properly,  limits the ability of government to inflate and debase its money.

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What’s Next For Gold Is Always About The US Dollar

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Since the origin of the Federal Reserve in 1913 the US dollar has lost ninety-nine percent of its purchasing power.

Not coincidentally, but in direct reflection of the dollar’s loss in purchasing power, the price of gold has multiplied one hundred fold from $20.67 oz to $2060 oz as of August 2020.

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Gold’s Singular Role

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When it comes to analyzing gold and gold prices there seems to be no limit to the explanations of cause and effect. The number of things presumed to be fundamental, or which are correlated to gold, has grown exponentially as gold receives more attention in the media and from the public.

The state of confusion that exists regarding gold and gold prices is exacerbated by the contradictions and conflicting arguments of almost all concerned parties. This includes  investors, traders, analysts, and brokers.

Rather than a desire to understand gold and its singular role, most investors and others are interested in gold only when its  price is going up. They buy it and then look for reasons to justify their expectations of ever higher prices.

GOLD’S SINGULAR ROLE

There is one overriding fundamental with respect to gold: “GOLD IS REAL MONEY”.

Money has three specific characteristics: 1) medium of exchange; 2) measure of value; 3) store of value. In order for something to be money, it must have all three of these attributes. Otherwise, it is not money.

The US dollar is not money because it does not embody all three of the necessary characteristics. It is an accepted medium of exchange and a measure of value, but it is not a store of value.

Gold is also original money. It was money before the US dollar and all paper currencies, which are merely substitutes for real money; in other words, substitutes for gold.

Lots of things have been used as money during five thousand years of recorded history.  Only gold has stood the test of time.

WHAT GOLD IS NOT

The simplest, and most accurate way to say what gold is not, is to state emphatically: “GOLD IS NOTHING ELSE OTHER THAN MONEY’.

Gold is not an investment; nor is it a hedge. Gold is not insurance. Gold is not a safe haven. Gold is not silver’s handsome twin brother. Gold is not a barbarous relic. Gold is not an outdated earlier version of the cryptocurrency craze. Gold as money is not an idea whose time has come and gone. 

Gold is nothing other than money. Its use in jewelry is always secondary to its role as money. Gold is money that can be used for adornment, but it is still money, nonetheless. Always.

THE VALUE OF GOLD

The value of gold is in its role and use as money. It is divisible into fractional units for transaction purposes and is a proven store of value.

Gold’s value is constant and unchanging. One ounce of gold today will purchase amounts of goods and services roughly equivalent to what it could have bought fifty, one hundred, or one thousand years ago.

The reason the value of gold does not change is because gold, itself, is unchangeable.

WHY DOES THE PRICE OF GOLD CHANGE? 

It is logical and reasonable to ask “If gold is unchangeable, and its value is constant, then why does its price change?

The changing price of gold is attributable to one thing only: changes in the value of the US dollar; or whatever currency it is priced in.

Over the past century, the US dollar has lost more than ninety-nine percent of its purchasing power. Correspondingly, the price of gold has increased by a multiple of more than one hundred times its original fixed and convertible price of $20.67 per ounce.

The chart (source) below shows a one hundred-year history of rising gold prices…

Over that same one hundred years, what you can  buy with an ounce of gold remains stable, or better.  (see my article A Loaf Of Bread, A Gallon Of Gas, An Ounce Of Gold)

SUMMARY

Gold’s singular role is its use as money. Gold is real money because it carries the qualifying characteristics of money, including that of a store of value.

The value of gold is directly attributable to its use as money. Gold’s value is constant and unchanging. The higher price of gold over time is a reflection of the ongoing loss in purchasing power of the US dollar.

Gold’s value is not determined by world events, political turmoil, or industrial demand. Gold is not correlated to interest rates or anything else. Gold is not a hedge or a safe haven; nor is it an investment.

Gold is real money and nothing else.

Kelsey Williams is the author of two books: INFLATION, WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T, AND WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT  and  ALL HAIL THE FED!

Gold And US Dollar Hegemony

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GOLD AND US DOLLAR HEGEMONY

The US dollar is the world’s reserve currency. That isn’t likely to change anytime soon.

All currencies are substitutes for real money, i.e. gold.  And because all governments inflate and destroy their own currencies, any potential alternatives to the US dollar are as bad or worse.

That doesn’t stop the dollar bashing, of course. In a general long-term sense, the condemnation is well-deserved. After all, the US dollar, under the care and watch keeping of the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, has lost more than ninety-eight percent of its purchasing power.

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Does Demand For Gold Send Its Price Higher?

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DOES DEMAND FOR GOLD SEND ITS PRICE HIGHER?

Gold is original money. As such, it is the measure of value for everything else.

Gold was money before the US dollar and other paper currencies. All paper currencies are substitutes for gold, i.e., real money.

So, how much is money worth? Money is worth what you can buy with it. In my article A Loaf Of Bread, A Gallon Of Gas, An Ounce Of Gold, I compared the cost to purchase bread and gasoline over the past one hundred years using US dollars vs. gold.

The article illustrates the single reason that separates gold from all other forms of money: gold is a store of value; nothing else is. 

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Gold – Bullish Or Bearish?

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GOLD – BULLISH OR BEARISH?

What does it mean to say that one is “bullish” on gold? Or “bearish”? Or, more simply, what is a bull or a bear?

“A bull is an investor who thinks the market, a specific security or an industry is poised to rise. Investors who adopt a bull approach purchase securities under the assumption that they can sell them later at a higher price. Bulls are optimistic investors who are attempting to profit from the upward movement of stocks, with certain strategies suited to that theory. …James Chen, Investopedia

According to the definition, then, being bullish on gold is an indication that an investor can optimistically purchase gold and expect to sell it later at a higher price for a profit. 

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Gold Price Is Not About Gold

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The gold price is not about gold. In fact, it tells us nothing about gold.

So why are people so obsessed with the price of gold? In most cases, it is because people likely view gold as an investment opportunity. “How much can I make and how quickly?”

However, the question which continues to plague gold investors and others is “Why didn’t gold respond the way we expected?”

The answer is found in the term unrealistic expectations. 

When gold is characterized as an investment, the incorrect assumption leads to unexpected results regardless of the logic. If the basic premise is incorrect, even the best, most technically perfect logic will not lead to results that are consistent.

Here are some examples of inconsistencies when viewed through the lens of faulty logic based on incorrect assumptions…

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