Ask yourself the question if you were to choose an element for currency which one would it be? There are 118 elements in the periodic table why in the world people came up with valuing gold over the other as the preferred material. To answer this question we need to categorize each of the element with the character it holds and the one that is being demanded. This has to be kept in mind the element can be such which is valuable so that not it can not be acquired through wrong means and unreactive so that it can be preserved and saved for ages.
Let us cut short the research and cross out all the gaseous elements, so off with Hydrogen, Oxygens and the Nobles. Kicking out the liquid bromine and mercury as well. We happen to still have Marvel's favourite group 'Radioactive elements', Stay away from them, Seriously!. That leaves us with alkaline, rare earth and the transition elements. Alkaline are too reactive they might not even wait for the trade to finish before reacting. Then comes rare earth, well they are hard to distinguish from each other so skipping those as well. Left we are with the transition group. The 49 element large group holds all variety, we can not make use of the elements as titanium and zirconium, for they are pretty tough.but hard to smelt. Iron easily rusts, aluminum is hard to extract and is flimsy, copper is corrosion resistant but still it has better competitors to challenge. Palladium, platinum, iridium, rhodium, osmium, silver and gold. These elements can resist corrosion to high degree but they all too carry a drawback except for silver and gold the rest are rarer then the rare earth metals and also hard to smelt.
Gold and silver held the higher ground when it came to making money. However, it has been found that gold is the better of the two, as Silver tarnishes when it reacts with sulphur from the environment. The additional advantage of gold is its malleability. It is the most malleable and ductile element of them all. No wonder you see a new design, if you are known to the south Asian culture. Speaking of which comes a story of choosing the element for forming currency coins. Muhammad Taghluq in the early 14th century forged copper coins for his kingdom's trade measures. What happened was the whole people forged their own coins with the availability of the given material, soon every one was a millionare, The Sultan had to revert his decision which cost him more as he asked for the return of all copper coins in return of which the people will get the gold and silver coins back.
Gold malleability and corrosion resistant does make it valuable but it does not end here as the shine and glare gives it a unique character, which is the reason its symbol is 'Au'. The symbol comes from the Greek work aurum which means sunshine and glow. Corrosion resistance helps gold preserve its character and as it may be added if you get a gold statue as a gift, for 1000 years it will be preserved for your great grand-ever so infinite-children. So its all due to the ever lasting and unmatched beauty of the material that has caused it to be the talk of the town.
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