As Good as Gold?

Is anything really 'as good as gold?' Some of us would like to think so, but gold is really the only thing that is as good as gold. As you know, this is a rather literal reading of this phrase. Saying that something is as good as gold is to say that it is highly valued, just as gold is. People do not describe items they prize as being as good as tree bark of as good as pewter. Gold made its way into this phrase because it commands attention and a high price. Many things are not gold, but they do exhibit some of the characteristics of gold.

For some people this phrase means that something (or someone) is genuine, does what they say they are going to do and delivers on a promise of good things (be it a promise that is stated outright or a promise that is implied).

In some ways this was the original purpose of gold--to make good on a promise. Today we buy and sell things for cash and this cash is considered legal tender, but this was not always the case. Sometimes we store the cash in different forms, but all in all, when many of us think of wealth we think of it in terms of dollars.

When the idea of bills first came about, they were also referred to as banknotes. These notes from the bank stood in representation of gold or silver. These bank notes were promissory notes that guaranteed that the bearer had to gold necessary to back up the amount that was promised in the note. It was gold or silver (primarily gold) that was thought to be actual money. The notes were just there to represent the gold. Plus, banknotes were easier to carry and weighed a lot less than actual gold and gold bars.

Of course if you do have some gold, be it gold bars, gold coins or gold jewelry, it can be very good to you. Although the days of using gold as a standard to back out currency are over, you can still exchange gold for money. Getting cash for gold is easy. Sell gold to a gold buyer and they will give you cash for gold. That is right, cash. Not a promissory note or an I.O.U., but actual legal tender.