Throughout history, gold has always been recognised as a valuable asset. Some of the earliest records describe gold as being desired, both as an art form but also as a form of currency. Since gold coins were first struck in around 550 BC, they formed an important foundation to our monetary system. However, treasures containing gold have been discovered which date back from as early as 4000 BC. This means the relevance of this asset has been linked to power and wealth for a considerable time. Even when countries moved away from gold coins and into the convenience of paper money, the ‘gold standard’ meant that this paper currency still retained an important link to gold.