Is it end of golden age of gold?

US: Below the streets of Lower Manhattan, in the vault of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the world’s largest trove of gold – half a million bars – has lost about $75 billion of its value. In Fort Knox, Ky., at the United States Bullion Depository, the damage totals $50 billion.

And in Pocatello, Idaho, the tiny golden treasure of Jon Norstog has dwindled, too. A $29,000 investment that Norstog made in 2011 is now worth about $17,000, a loss of 42 per cent.

“I thought if worst came to worst and the government brought down the world economy, I would still have something that was worth something,” Norstog, 67, says of his foray into gold. Gold, pride of Croesus and store of wealth since time immemorial, has turned out to be a very bad investment of late.

- DECCAN HERALD