Garfield Refining has created a resource on 45 different facts about gold throughout history and its current uses. These slides are open to everyone, whether researching for historical gold facts or looking for some fun gold trivia. www.garfieldrefining.com

1. 45 FACTS
ABOUT
GOLD
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GARFIELD REFINING
WWW.GARFIELDREFINING.COM
FACTS ADAPTED FROM RANDOMHISTORY.COM

2. THE WORLD POURS MORE STEEL IN AN
HOUR THAN IT HAS POURED GOLD SINCE
THE BEGINNING OF RECORDED HISTORY.
source

3. GOLD HAS BEEN DISCOVERED ON EVERY
CONTINENT ON EARTH.
source

4. GOLD CAN CONDUCT BOTH HEAT AND
ELECTRICITY AND IT NEVER RUSTS.
source

5. IT IS THOUGHT THAT 80% OF THE
WORLD’S GOLD IS STILL IN THE GROUND.
source

6. 75% OF ALL GOLD IN CIRCULATION HAS
BEEN EXTRACTED SINCE 1910.
source

7. A MEDICAL STUDY IN FRANCE FROM THE
EARLY 1900S SUGGESTS THAT GOLD IS
AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS.source

8. GOLD IS SO PLIABLE IT CAN BE MADE
INTO SEWING THREAD. ONE OUNCE CAN
BE STRETCHED OVER 50 MILES.
source

9. GOLD IS EDIBLE AND USED IN SOME
DESSERTS.
source

10. SOME NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES
BELIEVED CONSUMING GOLD COULD
ALLOW HUMANS TO LEVITATE.
source

11. THE LARGEST GOLD NUGGET WAS
10”X25”, YIELDING 2,249 OUNCES OF
PURE GOLD.
source

12. THE LARGEST GOLD NUGGET EVER
FOUND WAS JUST 2 INCHES BELOW THE
SURFACE.
source

13. IN MARCH 2008, THE PRICE OF GOLD HIT
$1,000 AN OUNCE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
source

14. DEMAND FOR GOLD ROSE SHARPLY IN
2008 DURING THE RECESSION.
source

15. GOLD IS CHEMICALLY INERT, SO IT
NEVER CAUSES SKIN IRRITATION.
source

16. ONE CUBIC FOOT OF GOLD WEIGHS HALF
A TON.
source

17. THE WORLD’S LARGEST GOLD BAR
WEIGHS 250 KG (551 LB).
source

18. THE LAST TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS
WERE ENTIRELY OF GOLD WAS IN 1912.
source

19. THE INCAS THOUGHT GOLD
REPRESENTED THEIR SUN GOD AND
CALLED IT “TEARS OF THE SUN.”
source

20. AROUND 1200 BC, EGYPTIANS USED
UNSHORN SHEEPSKIN TO MINE FOR
GOLD DUST FROM THE SANDS OF THE
BLACK SEA.source

21. IN ANCIENT EGYPT, GOLD WAS
UNAVAILABLE TO ANYONE BUT THE
PHARAOHS.
source

22. THERE ARE MORE THAN 400
REFERENCES TO GOLD IN THE BIBLE.
source

23. GOLD WAS MENTIONED AS ONE OF THE
GIFTS OF THE MAGI.
source

24. THE GREEKS THOUGHT THAT GOLD WAS
A DENSE COMBINATION OF WATER AND
SUNLIGHT.
source

25. IN 560 BC, THE LYDIANS INTRODUCED
THE FIRST GOLD COIN.
source

26. THE CHEMICAL SYMBOL FOR GOLD IS AU,
FROM THE LATIN WORD AURUM MEANING
“SHINING DAWN.”
source

27. DURING THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY,
DRINKING MOLTEN GOLD AND CRUSHED
EMERALDS WAS USED AS A TREATMENT
FOR THE BUBONIC PLAQUE.source

28. IN 1511, KING FERDINAND OF SPAIN
COINED THE IMMORTAL PHRASE: “GET
GOLD, HUMANELY IF POSSIBLE—BUT AT
ALL HAZARDS, GET GOLD.”source

29. BOTH GREEKS AND JEWS BEGIN TO
PRACTICE ALCHEMY IN 300 BC.
source

30. ORIGINALLY THE U.S. MINT MADE $2.50,
$10, AND $15 COINS OF SOLID GOLD.
MINTING OF GOLD STOPPED IN 1933,
DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.source

31. THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ARE NAMED
AFTER THE 1849 GOLD RUSH MINERS.
source

32. GOLD AND COPPER WERE THE FIRST
METALS TO BE DISCOVERED BY HUMANS
AROUND 5000 BC.
source

33. THE WORLD’S LARGEST STOCKPILE OF
GOLD CAN BE FOUND FIVE STORIES
UNDERGROUND INSIDE THE FEDERAL
RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK’S VAULT.source

34. THAT VAULT HOLDS 25% OF THE
WORLD'S GOLD RESERVE (540,000 GOLD
BARS).
source

35. THE MINES OF SOUTH AFRICA CAN
DESCEND AS FAR AS 12,000 FEET AND
REACH TEMPERATURES OF 130°F.
source

36. APPROXIMATELY 142,000 TONS OF GOLD
HAVE BEEN MINED THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
source

37. THE FIRST GOLD EVER DISCOVERED IN
THE U.S. WAS A 17-POUND NUGGET
FOUND IN CABARRUS, NC.
source

38. IN 1848, GOLD WAS DISCOVERED NEAR
SACRAMENTO, SPARKING THE
CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH.
source

39. THE PURITY OF GOLD IS MEASURED BY
KARAT.
source

40. source
“SOLID GOLD” IS GOLD THAT HAS A
MINIMUM PURITY OF 10 KARAT.

41. source
STANDARD KARATS FOUND ARE 10, 12,
14, 18, 22, OR 24. THE HIGHER THE
NUMBER, THE GREATER THE PURITY.

42. “PURE GOLD” MUST HAVE A KARAT OF
24. PURE GOLD IS SO SOFT THAT IT CAN
BE MOLDED BY HAND.
source

43. THE SIZE OF A STANDARD GOLD BAR IS
7" BY 3 AND 5/8" BY 1 AND 3/4“.
source

44. THERE IS AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 10
BILLION TONS OF GOLD IN THE OCEANS.
source

45. THE WORLD’S FIRST GOLD VENDING
MACHINE WAS UNVEILED IN MAY 2010 IN
ABU DHABI.
source

46. IN 1968, GOLD WAS MADE THE OFFICIAL
STATE MINERAL OF ALASKA.
source

47. ABOUT GARFIELD
REFINING
Garfield Refining Company is a 120 year old precious metals refinery
that buys gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Most of all, we pride
ourselves on our customer service and generations of satisfied
customers. We find that great payouts and honesty create loyalty
from all of our types of clients-- including private sellers, dentists,
jewelers, pawnbrokers, gold buyers, or really anybody that needs
refining. Garfield Refining is proudly family owned and operated and
proudly American, located in Philadelphia PA since the 1800s. We
approach refining as part industrial blue-collar hard work and part
cutting-edge technological sophistication — Give us a call to discuss
our process and services:
800-523-0968