476 A.D.
The Goths depose Emperor Romulas Augustus, marking the fall of the Roman Empire.

600 A.D. – 699 A.D.
The Byzantine Empire resumes gold mining in central Europe and France, an area untouched since the fall of the Roman Empire.

742 A.D. – 814 A.D.
Charlemagne overruns the Avars and plunders their vast quantities of gold, making it possible for him to take control over much of western Europe.

1066 A.D.
With the Norman conquest, a metallic currency standard is finally re-established in Great Britain with the introduction of a system of pounds, shillings, and pence. The pound is literally a pound of sterling silver.

1250 A.D. – 1299 A.D.
Marco Polo writes of his travels to the Far East, where the “gold wealth was almost unlimited.”

1284 A.D.
Venice introduces the gold Ducat, which soon becomes the most popular coin in the world and remains so for more than five centuries.

1284 A.D.
Great Britain issues its first major gold coin, the Florin. This is followed shortly by the Noble, and later by the Angel, Crown, and Guinea.

1377 A.D.
Great Britain shifts to a monetary system based on gold and silver.

1511 A.D.
King Ferdinand of Spain says to explorers, “Get gold, humanely if you can, but all hazards, get gold,” launching massive expeditions to the newly discovered lands of the Western Hemisphere.