to Fagin in Dickens' Oliver Twist. These characters go to evil extremes to get or keep
their gold and they get the punishment they deserve. Most people would not be willing to go to such
extremes, of course, but they would not question the assumption that gold has lasting value above and beyond
any local currency. Societies change over time, customs and currencies evolve, but gold remains. A wedding
ring, for example, must be gold, and so should any serious gift of jewelry. In fact, giving and wearing gold is
still a mark of prestige in our postindustrial society, just as it has been for thousands of years.