Greenspan: Gold is "the Ultimate Form of Payment in the World" due to "Fiat Money in Extremis"

By: Mark_OByrne

Gold  fell  yesterday  as the dollar rallied ( gold closed at $874.00  down $14.4 0 while silver  closed at $12.18 down 75  cents ).  In after hours trading there was determined selling which pushed the price as low as $860 prior to rallying above the New York close and as high as over $883/oz.

In the titanic battle between the gold bulls and the gold bears, the gold bears and powerful selling entities have again won  the short term battle. But this looks set to be another pyrrhic victory  as the shorts  are likely to get their heads handed to them on a plate when gold's supply demand fundamentals (as seen in many articles in recent days and in the Financial Times articles today - see our News section and below) which become more bullish by the day, ultimately overwhelm the short sellers.

Gold would appear to be well supported at  the $850/oz to 860/oz level but anything is possible  given the unprecedented nature of the  volatil ity in global money  markets . However, with interbank rates continuing to rise to new record levels, systemic risk remains elevated which will support gold.

Gold , unlike all other asset classes,  is up some 1 7 %  in the last 3 weeks ( since it's  recent Sept e mber 11th lows  it has gone from $750 /oz to $87 8/oz today ) and may need to consolidate between $850 and $910 prior to rechallenging $1,000/oz in the coming weeks.

Gold remains very firm and near recent record highs in Euros and GBP as these currencies have weakened significantly in recent weeks. We have not witnessed the dollar strengthening rather all fiat currencies weakening vis a vis the dollar as contagion has spread from the original epicentre in the US to financial systems and economies internationally.

Greenspan: Gold is "the Ultimate Form of Payment in the World"
The Financial Times' Javier Blas has written two excellent articles examining the surging demand for gold amid a growing lack of supply ('Investors start fresh Gold Rush' and ' Wealthy investors hoard bullion') <see News section of homepage>.

In them he outlines how "investors in gold are demanding “unprecedented” amounts of bullion bars and coins and moving them into their own vaults as fears about the health of the global financial system deepen."

He astutely notes Alan Greenspan's observations regarding fiat paper money and the value of gold as being the "ultimate form of payment in the world"

" “Fiat money, in extremis, is accepted by nobody,” Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, told lawmakers in Washington almost a decade ago. “Gold is always accepted,” he added.

The “in extremis” scenario was for years only a possibility in the mind of die-hard gold bugs, but the financial crisis is leading regular investors – from the ultra-rich to middle-class savers – to believe that the environment in which Mr Greenspan said fiat money would be worthless is now around the corner.    . . . 

The investors' response is a rush into physical gold not seen since the second oil crisis in 1979, bankers say. The shift into gold coins and bars is so extreme that it is causing shortages at refineries and mints around the world. "

W ith the Federal Reserve and global central banks injecting thousands of billions of dollars, euros, pounds, yen and swiss francs (primarily dollars though) into the global financial system in order to prevent a systemic meltdown and contagion, a degree of monetary debasement is taking place that has not been seen in wealthy industrialised economies since Germany's Weimar Republic's money printing in order to pay off World War I debt reparations. This led to hyperinflation and destruction of the German mark and economy and the rise of the Nazis.

The scale of the money printing today is more akin to that seen in badly mismanaged less developed countries such as Argentina and other South American and African countries in the late 20th century. The fiscal ramifications of the money printing are massive and yet to be realised.

A more recent example of massive money printing is Zimbabwe, one of Africa's most prosperous nations until recently, which is now suffering from a crushing hyperinflation, last reported to be at 11.2 million percent. The Zimbabwean central bank has unveiled a series of ever-larger notes since August, when it struck 10 zeros off the local currency that had become so weak that billions of dollars were required just to buy a loaf of bread.

Few are suggesting that America will go the way of Zimbabwe, but the present bout of "fiat money in extremis" risks a severe bout of stagflation that would make the stagflation of the 1970's look positively benign.

By Mark O'Byrne, Executive Director

Gold and Silver Investments Ltd. have been awarded the MoneyMate and Investor Magazine Financial Analyst of 2006.

Mission Statement
Gold and Silver Investments Limited hope to inform our clientele of important financial and economic developments and thus help our clientele and prospective clientele understand our rapidly changing global economy and the implications for their livelihoods and wealth.
We focus on the medium and long term global macroeconomic trends and how they pertain to the precious metal markets and our clienteles savings, investments and livelihoods. We emphasise prudence, safety and security as they are of paramount importance in the preservation of wealth.

Financial Regulation: Gold & Silver Investments Limited trading as Gold Investments is regulated by the Financial Regulator as a multi-agency intermediary. Our Financial Regulator Reference Number is 39656. Gold Investments is registered in the Companies Registration Office under Company number 377252 . Registered for VAT under number 6397252A . Codes of Conduct are imposed by the Financial Regulator and can be accessed at www.financialregulator.ie or from the Financial Regulator at PO Box 9138, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. Property, Commodities and Precious Metals are not regulated by the Financial Regulator

Disclaimer: The information in this document has been obtained from sources, which we believe to be reliable. We cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. It does not constitute a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any investment. Any person acting on the information contained in this document does so at their own risk. Recommendations in this document may not be suitable for all investors. Individual circumstances should be considered before a decision to invest is taken. Investors should note the following: The value of investments may fall or rise against investors' interests. Income levels from investments may fluctuate. Changes in exchange rates may have an adverse effect on the value of, or income from, investments denominated in foreign currencies. Past experience is not necessarily a guide to future performance.

All the opinions expressed herein are solely those of Gold & Silver Investments Limited and not those of the Perth Mint. They do not reflect the views of the Perth Mint and the Perth Mint accepts no legal liability or responsibility for any claims made or opinions expressed herein.

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.