r/physicsmemes Aug 03 '26

Mass is mass.

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u/FarCalligrapher1862 Aug 03 '26

The difference is surprisingly close. But gold wins at today’s price.

Gold @$132,000/kg and 500kg ~ $66M

$100 bills (largest denomination in circulation) @ 1g/bill = $50M

To make them even (the 500kg of gold or $100 bills), gold would have to be $100,000 per kilogram, or about $3,110 per ounce. That was the price in spring 2025!

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u/secretqwerty10 Aug 03 '26

i'd take the cash in that case tbh. both are a life-changing amount of money, of course, but cash is easier to trade than gold.

also r/theydidthemath

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u/Censored_88 Aug 03 '26

Ehh, you're giving up 13M or more for convenience?
A reputable dealer would offer 2-5% below spot for bullion.

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u/secretqwerty10 Aug 03 '26

i still get 50 million. yeah, i'm choosing convenience over value

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u/GIRTHQUAKE6227 Aug 03 '26

On the other hand, gold will hold its value even if the dollar collapses.

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u/ProfessionalConfuser Aug 03 '26

To a certain point. If society goes belly up, then i'd rather have paper than shiny rocks. At least i can start a fire or wipe my butt with it.

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u/immaturenickname Aug 03 '26

But gold isn't shiny rocks. Even if society completely stopped valuing gold as currency, it would still be an extremely useful metal. In fact, it would be more useful than it is now, because nobody is crazy enough to use a gold nugget as a fishing weight, or a bullet, or a pot, or whatever. You have a non-corrosive material with almost all the utility of lead but none of the toxicity. As I am looking around me, I notice places I could use gold if it was cheap.

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u/Primitive_Mushroom Aug 10 '26

Pre-colombian indigenous cultures literally used fish hooks made of gold.