You’ve probably heard that gold is an important ingredient in wedding rings, eyeglasses, and electronics. If you don’t, just google gold price today Jabalpur or any other city and you will see for yourself how gold consistently retains its value. But did you know that gold also has links to foreign currencies? That’s right. Gold and foreign exchange are closely related financial institutions. The value of the yellow metal is directly tied to the strength of global currency values—sometimes even more so than with national currencies. So here we take a look at how gold has impacted the currencies of the world:
1. It was the standard to evaluate the currency
The first impact came in the form of the gold standard, which stated that each currency must be backed (usually) by a certain amount of gold. This allowed individuals to trade currency back and forth more easily, as they could convert their cash to gold and then back again if they so desired. The gold standard also helped stabilize currency fluctuations and exchanges, as the amount of gold each country had could not change without a corresponding adjustment in its currency. However, this system has now been abandoned.
2. Always precious hence good store of value
The second impact is simply the value of gold itself. While it does not have quite the same prominence as it once did, gold continues to be very valuable in terms of other currencies. As a result, its price must be carefully monitored to make sure that it does not change too rapidly or dramatically—which could cause problems for other currencies with which it is being traded. You can check this for yourself simply by looking up gold prices today in Rourkela or Mumbai and keeping a track for a few weeks. You will rarely see a fall. See more.
3. Gold reserves of a country matter
The third impact has to do with how much gold a country has sitting around unused. It is generally advised that countries keep at least 30% of their reserves in gold, although some nations (such as the United States) have more than this amount in reserve. If a nation has less than 30% of its reserves in gold, there is an increased likelihood that it will have problems with exchange rates or even inflation.
4. Can affect the local currency
The relationship between gold prices and the strength of a local currency is not always an inverse one, however. Countries with rapidly growing economies that have sustained high levels of employment and production tend to see their currency strengthen even if their gold prices have risen significantly. This is because the increased economic activity is creating jobs and expanding both local businesses and exports, which in turn strengthens the local currency by increasing demand for it from other countries
5. Offers protection from inflation
When the value of a country’s currency falls rapidly, the demand for gold increases simultaneously. Gold has been a reliable hedge against inflation since its prices are not affected by political issues and can retain value even in times of intense inflation. The fact that it has an inherent value and its supply is always limited in quantity prevents it from getting diluted heavily in terms of price.
