In history, back in ancient Rome, the Emperor Augustus (30 B.C.-14 A.D.) set the price of gold at 45 coins to the pound.

In other words, a pound of gold could make 45 coins. The next revaluation occurred during the reign of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (211-217 A.D.). He debased the value to 50 coins for a pound of gold, making each coin worth less and the price of gold worth more. Diocletian (284-305 A.D.) further debased gold to 60, then Constantine the Great (306-337 A.D.) debased it to 70. They did this to finance the military so they could stay in power. They also increased taxes.

These emperors lowered the value of the currency so much it created hyperinflation. To give you an idea, in 301 A.D., one pound of gold was worth 50,000 denarii (another coin based on silver). By 337 it was worth 20 million denarii. As the price of gold rose, so did the price of everything else. Middle-class people could not afford their daily needs. That's one reason the Roman Empire began to crumble.

So even back during this time Gold was used as a medium of exchange and a store of value. Also, this is an example of what can happen to a nation when the government does the above. A very interesting concept with history and already working product!