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Gold in history
From Egyptian goldsmiths and the first coins to the great gold rushes and the rise and fall of the gold standard.
People have worked gold for more than 6,000 years. These guides follow it from ancient workshops to boomtowns and central bank vaults, told as history, not as a sales pitch.
HistoryGold in ancient EgyptAncient Egypt mined gold on a scale no earlier civilization matched, drew one of the oldest known geological maps of a gold mining area and created goldwork that still shines today.
HistoryGold in the ancient worldFrom the 6,000-year-old Varna gold to Roman mines that reshaped mountains and the goldwork of the Americas, a tour of gold across early civilizations.
HistoryThe Australian gold rushesFrom 1851, gold finds in New South Wales and Victoria drew people from around the world, multiplied Victoria's population and produced the biggest nuggets ever found.
HistoryThe California gold rushA few flakes found at Sutter's Mill in January 1848 set off one of the largest migrations in history, created the forty-niners and changed California forever.
HistoryThe Klondike gold rushIn 1896 gold was found on a creek in Canada's Yukon. Tens of thousands set out for Dawson City, hauling a ton of supplies over icy mountain passes.
HistoryThe Witwatersrand gold rushIn 1886 gold was found on a ridge in South Africa. It turned out to be the largest gold deposit ever known, and it built the city of Johannesburg almost overnight.
HistoryThe first gold coins, Lydia and electrumThe world's first coins were struck in the kingdom of Lydia, in what is now Turkey, from electrum, a natural gold and silver mix. Pure gold coins followed under King Croesus.
HistoryThe gold standard and Bretton Woods, explainedFor about a century, many currencies were defined as a fixed weight of gold. Here is how the gold standard worked, how Bretton Woods replaced it and why it ended in 1971, told as monetary history.
HistoryGold in the ancient worldFrom the 6,000-year-old Varna gold to Roman mines that reshaped mountains and the goldwork of the Americas, a tour of gold across early civilizations.HistoryThe Australian gold rushesFrom 1851, gold finds in New South Wales and Victoria drew people from around the world, multiplied Victoria's population and produced the biggest nuggets ever found.HistoryThe California gold rushA few flakes found at Sutter's Mill in January 1848 set off one of the largest migrations in history, created the forty-niners and changed California forever.HistoryThe Klondike gold rushIn 1896 gold was found on a creek in Canada's Yukon. Tens of thousands set out for Dawson City, hauling a ton of supplies over icy mountain passes.HistoryThe Witwatersrand gold rushIn 1886 gold was found on a ridge in South Africa. It turned out to be the largest gold deposit ever known, and it built the city of Johannesburg almost overnight.HistoryThe first gold coins, Lydia and electrumThe world's first coins were struck in the kingdom of Lydia, in what is now Turkey, from electrum, a natural gold and silver mix. Pure gold coins followed under King Croesus.HistoryThe gold standard and Bretton Woods, explainedFor about a century, many currencies were defined as a fixed weight of gold. Here is how the gold standard worked, how Bretton Woods replaced it and why it ended in 1971, told as monetary history.