1556 A.D.
Georgius Agricola publishes De re Metallica, which describes the fire assay of gold during the Middle Ages.
1700 A.D.
Gold is discovered in Brazil, which becomes the largest producer of gold by 1720, with nearly two-thirds of the world’s output. Isaac Newton, as Master of the Mint, fixes the price of gold in Great Britain at 84 shillings, 11 & ½ pence per troy ounce. The Royal Commission, composed of Newton, John Locke, and Lord Somers, recommends a recall of all old currency, issuance of new specie with gold/silver ratio of 16-to-1. The gold price thus established in Great Britain lasted for over 200 years.
1744 A.D.
The resurgence of gold mining in Russia begins with the discovery of a quartz outcrop in Ekaterinburg.
1787 A.D.
First U.S. gold coin is struck by Ephraim Brasher, a goldsmith.
1792 A.D.
The Coinage Act places the United States on a bimetallic silver-gold standard, and defines the U.S. dollar as equivalent to 24.75 grains of fine gold and 371.25 grains of fine silver.
1799 A.D.
A 17-pound gold nugget is found in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the first documented gold discovery in the United States.
1803 A.D.
Gold is discovered at Little Meadow Creek, North Carolina, sparking the first U.S. gold rush.
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