Gold has a certain high value assigned to it. But in the far furture, is gold still worth anything? Or is there something else that is more sought after? Or does value of things depend on TL's? Maybe gold is still the bees knees in low TL cultures? But what do cultures at higher TL's crave for?
Most valuable item?
- Thread starter Shonner
- Start date
Gold was often worth sod-all in some low TL cultures.
Only good for making plates, too soft for war, too common to have much value. In some ways the only reason that it had value, is it was what value was defined in. These things have a certain inertia, which is why it still has value.
I would suggest "money" and "valuble things".
Lycanorukke
SOC-13
Lanthanum seems to be very valuable in the Imperium given the use for jump drive systems. Omnesium-118 is apparently worth a large fortune (which seems odd as element 118 is eka-radon - a gas ), and Iridium may have percieved value due to it being the same stuff as 'the irridium throne' is made of.
The thing is though with nuclear damper tech you should be able to make almost any element you like. Lead to gold? Easy - just loosen the stong nuclear force so some protons escape, or strengthen it and shoot stuff in and you have beaten 10,000 years of alchemy,
The thing is though with nuclear damper tech you should be able to make almost any element you like. Lead to gold? Easy - just loosen the stong nuclear force so some protons escape, or strengthen it and shoot stuff in and you have beaten 10,000 years of alchemy,
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
Yes, gold etc may retain value simply because it's always been that way (though as Lycanorukke says, it may not remain so if transmutation of elements becomes commonplace*). Otherwise it's a matter of supply and demand. Minerals that serve some key purpose in technology but are in short supply - Unobtainium - will have high value, art treasures will always have value unless they are vilified by a ruling authority, and items of natural beauty such as rare plants, crystals, fossils, rock formations, etc may hold value (gems, like gold, are valuable because they're pretty and rare) Collector's items (such as a 5000 year old bottle of wine or an unopened first ed Traveller Boxed Set 
) will also have value in the right circles.
IMTU gold is still valuable, but that's more of a game mechanic than a prediction - players can identify with gold (and its density means they can't carry much of it :devil
*We can transmute lead into gold today in a fission reactor, but it costs considerably more to make it than the gold is actually worth.
) will also have value in the right circles.IMTU gold is still valuable, but that's more of a game mechanic than a prediction - players can identify with gold (and its density means they can't carry much of it :devil
*We can transmute lead into gold today in a fission reactor, but it costs considerably more to make it than the gold is actually worth.
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spinwardpirate
SOC-13
Ancients' artifacts, especially those in working condition.
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
Drugs. Definately drugs would come first.
Anagathics and Panaceas, especially those with no side-effects.
Aphrodisiacs, performance enhancers, and 'Zombie' drugs.
Custom-grown body parts and organs ("No, your honor; I know nothing about any alleged organ piracy at my medical facility...").
Real estate, especially on worlds that are ideally suited for the land-owner's biology.
Anagathics and Panaceas, especially those with no side-effects.
Aphrodisiacs, performance enhancers, and 'Zombie' drugs.
Custom-grown body parts and organs ("No, your honor; I know nothing about any alleged organ piracy at my medical facility...").
Real estate, especially on worlds that are ideally suited for the land-owner's biology.
