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– One for the history buffs –
730 years of a strong British pound ends in 1931
with gold standard exit
The St. Louis Federal Reserve recently released this interesting chart on consumer prices from 1209 to present. We added the price of gold to the chart to show the direct relationship between declining purchasing power in the British pound and the sterling price of gold after 1931, the year Britain departed the gold standard. Prior to 1931, there was an occasional minor bump higher in the price of gold, but for the most part, it followed along the same flat line as consumer prices. It was only after Britain separated the pound from gold in 1931 that the price began to move radically higher in terms of the currency. It gained significant momentum after 1971 when the Bretton Woods agreement was abolished. Currencies and gold were then allowed to move freely in international markets. Though interesting from a historical perspective, the real lesson in this chart is that when a nation-state goes from gold-backed to fiat money, gold coins and bullion become a logical and worthwhile alternative for citizen-investors – even after 730 years of relative price stability.
Sources: Bank of England, ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, St. Louis Federal Reserve [FRED]
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