Other Ways Gold Can Be Used In The Environment
Another way the gold can be used in the environment is in diesel emissions that can also be controlled through the use of gold, platinum, and palladium. The product used, known as NS Gold, has been shown to increase the hydrocarbon oxidation process by 15-20%, creating fewer emissions and making the air less polluted.
Gold also plays a large roll in ‘green’ chemistry, or sustainable chemistry. It is being studied as a way to cause the oxidation of hydrocarbons from fewer chemicals and organic products, making organic materials more affordable to purchase. It is also being looked into to use gold to replace platinum in fuel cells, because it is more affordable and more readily available.
There are so many different ways that gold is, and can be, used in the environment. For the most part, its metallurgic and chemical properties simply allow it to provide green concepts and eliminate pollutants, both in the air, water, and in fuel emissions. Gold is a very versatile metal, and while it may be most valuable for its financial standing, it probably provides more safety than most people imagine by being used in these various environmental concepts.
The more ways are found to use this unique precious metal, the more valuable it becomes to a society making it a valuable investment vehicle.
Canadian Mint Million Dollar Gold Coin
Seen any million dollar gold coins lately? If you haven’t that’s probably because there is only one in existence and it is actually worth way more than 1 million dollars. Plus it may be a little hard to carry since it weighs about 220 pounds.
A few years ago, the Royal Canadian Mint added a new coin to their collection in 2007 that is very rare indeed. The only coin of its kind, this one is valued at more than 455,000 pounds, or $1 million Canadian Dollars. It’s easily the world’s biggest, purest, and highest denomination coin in existence. It weighs more than 220.5 pounds, and its closest rival is the 60 pound “Big Phil” commemorative coin that was minted in Austria to commemorate the anniversary of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The coin is about the size of an extra large pizza, and was introduced along with the one-ounce bullion coins that are being mass produced to model the giant currency.
The coin was originally designed as a promotional item, but it has since been decided that the coins will be produced further, but in limited quantities. The U.S. has one precious metals distributor that wants three copies of the coin, and Asia and Europe are also expressing an interest in the coin. The coin is 53 centimeters in diameter, and more than 3 centimeters thick, which requires a lot of skilled handiwork to create something this monstrous. The face value of the coin is at $1 million Canadian, but not surprisingly because of the increase in the price of gold in the last 3 years, the coin is worth far more. The price of gold per ounce leaves the coin worth at least triple that amount or more depending on the day that gold prices are checked.
Pike’s Peak Colorado Gold Rush
The Pike’s Peak Colorado gold rush happened in 1858 in western Kansas territory and southwestern Nebraska territory, and lasted until 1861 with the creation of the Colorado territory. More than 100,000 gold seekers came to this area in a rush for riches, and this quickly became one of the most well-known and prosperous gold rushes in American history. After 1859, which was the peak year of the rush, these miners were known as fifty-niners, and often came bearing the motto ‘Pike’s Peak or Bust!’
The Pike’s Peak Colorado gold rush happened about a decade after the California gold rush, and brought a temporary and huge influx of immigrants into Pike’s Peak area and the Southern Rocky Mountains. The gold rush brought the first European-Americans to the region, and created a few places that would become cities such as Denver City and Boulder City. Smaller camps ended up becoming parts of larger towns, and dozens of camps simply became ghost towns. Many gold prospectors were discouraged at the end of the California gold rush, which caused them to return home. However, a few stayed behind and followed rumors that gold was to be found in the Rocky Mountains.
This following ended up paying off in the end, for those who actually took the time to travel to this area and become a part of the search for gold in what would become the Pike’s Peak gold rush. In 1858, gold was discovered, and it was less than a year by the time news reached the eastern part of the country. At that time, thousands of miners were coming to the Denver area to search for the gold that so many had boasted finding. There were many large finds throughout the area in 1859, and shortly after the mining tapered off for a substantial amount of time.
After many years, people realized that they couldn’t access the gold that was deeper in the sulfide ore, and abandoned gold prospecting in the area. However, this problem was solved over time, creating a major gold and silver mining industry in Colorado after the gold rush had come and gone. The first decade generally served the South Platte River area and the Clear Creek and South Park areas, and in 1860, Denver City, Golden City, and Boulder City were thriving towns that worked the mines as a way of life.
Still today, the area is popular among vacationers for gold prospecting adventures, but the large mines are now owned by private industry, making the findings more rare and individual prospecting less popular. Panning for gold may be fun, but it’s hardly profitable. If you want to invest in gold, try purchasing some gold coins and holding them for an extended period of time.