Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 66

life ANTIQUES By Philip Hoare Gilty Pleasures When I was a child there was something that fascinated me above all other things, it took my attention away from schoolwork and often my playthings; it was my grandmother’s bangle! I would sit, open-mouthed, gawping at it for hours, wondering where it had come from and had my grandmother actually had to wrestle with pirates in order to achieve it??! It was indeed a rare looking trinket and treasure to me. This was my first encounter with that most precious and coveted of all metals - Gold! Gold is a highly sought after precious metal, it occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks in underground "veins". Gold has been used as money in jewellery, in sculpture, and for ornamentation since the beginning of recorded history. Of course because of its popularity gold has at times drawn out the worst in mankind. In the 16th century Spanish conquistadors travelled to South America hoping to find cities of gold. In Peru they captured the King and demanded his weight in gold for his release. The Peruvians obeyed and instead of keeping their word the Spanish chopped off the Kings head! A less horrific story is that of a couple who bought a Grade II listed Toll House in Yorkshire. They were having such dreadful trouble with the local council that they were about to give up work when one of the beams that was rotten broke loose and a whole cascade, 3-4 hundred, gold sovereigns toppled out! Luckily for the couple their problems were solved as these coins paid for all the work that needed to be done! In these uneasy financial times it is excruciatingly difficult to know whether ones finances are safe in those once infallible institutions: banks. Where indeed does one put ones money? Gold has become an increasingly popular investment, due to the fact that, even in turbulent financial waters gold maintains its value. On the 13th of March 2008 gold reached an all time record high in US dollars breaking the $1,000 dollar per ounce barrier for the first time ever! Buying gold may be expensive but it works the other way as well. If you have any gold jewellery or trinkets tucked away you may well be surprised to realise what they are actually worth and who knows that little bangle may pay for Christmas! If you do have any queries then please don’t hesitate to contact me and may I take this opportunity to wish you all an auriferous Christmas and a 24-carat New Year! Philip Hoare 07773 877 242 Email: [email protected] 66 The Island's new funky radio station www.wightfm.com