Perhaps no other market in the world has the universal appeal of the gold market. For centuries, gold has been coveted and traded for its unique blend of rarity, beauty, and near indestructibility.
Nations have embraced gold as a store of wealth and a medium of international exchange; individuals have sought to possess gold as insurance against the day-to-day uncertainties of paper money. COMEX Division gold futures and options provide an important alternative to traditional means of investing in gold such as bullion, coins, and mining stocks.
The United States first assigned a formal monetary role for gold in 1792, when Congress put the nation's currency on a bimetallic standard, backing it with gold and silver. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, most nations were forced to severe their currency from gold in an attempt to stabilize their economies.