Starting with England and Germany around WWI, and later in the 1970’s with the US coming off the gold standard gold, gold was removed as the international currency standard to allow for fiat currency and for governments to print money as needed.
Gold has transitioned from the oldest currency to a currency backer to a banned currency to an investment that has outperformed many others over the last five years: In 2006 the demand for Total bar and coin investments was 438 Tonnes ($5.7 Billion), by 2010 the demand increased to 1149 Tonnes ($45.3 Billion).
While the surge in demand for physical gold can be attributed to many factors, we feel that it is resurfacing as an international currency of choice. Our market niche is to provide the mechanism for increasing the supply of gold bars and coins and allow them to be freely traded, collateralized, and dispensed on demand by the common man from our gold terminals.

19 May 2013 | 8:21 pm
Plunge in gold price puts a bad idea out of its misery - South China Morning Post
19 May 2013 | 2:52 pm
As gold prices slide, two experts weigh in - Columbus Dispatch
19 May 2013 | 2:49 pm
BARRON'S: There Were Two Gigantic, Suspicious Sales Of Gold On Friday That ... - Business Insider