For all the talk of cryptocurrencies and a new digital age, gold and other shiny metal commodities retain a special allure for many investors.

“The modern age opened, I think, with the accumulation of capital which began in the 16th century,” economist John Maynard Keynes wrote in 1930. “This was initially due to the rise of prices, and the profits to which that led, which resulted from the treasure of gold and silver which Spain brought from the New World. From that time until today, the power of accumulation by compound interest … was reborn and renewed its strength.”

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