Friday, 10 July 2015

In the Star Trek Universe, what is the value of Gold in the 24th Century?

ST TNG "The Last Outpost":




KAYRON: You see? They are demented. Their values are insane. You
cannot believe the business opportunities they have destroyed.



LETEK: Proof of their barbarism. They adorn themselves with gold, a
despicable use of a valuable metal
. And they shamelessly clothe their
females.



MORDOC: Inviting others to unclothe them. The very depth of
perversion.




ST DS9 "Little Green Men":




QUARK: Dollars? Never heard of them. Don't you have any gemstones or
precious minerals?



DENNING: You mean like gold?



QUARK: Gold? Gold is good.



DENNING: How much gold are we talking about?




DS9 "Who Mourns for Morn":




QUARK: Beautiful, isn't it? And the way it picks up the light I wonder
who came up with the idea of suspending liquid latinum inside
worthless bits of gold?



DAX: Probably somebody who got tired of making change with an
eyedropper. Are you going to play or not?




DS9 "Who Mourns for Morn":




QUARK: That can't be! There's no latinum in these bricks!



ODO: What?



QUARK: Someone's extracted all the latinum. There's nothing here but
worthless gold.



ODO: And it's all yours.



QUARK: No! No! No!




DS9 "Who Mourns for Morn":




(Morn looks around, picks up a glass and regurgitates a drop of
glistening mercury-like liquid.)



QUARK: Of course. Your second stomach. You've been keeping it in your
second stomach all these years? That's a lot of latinum. No wonder
your hair fell out.



(Morn gives Quark the glass.)



QUARK: For me? That must be a hundred bricks worth. I don't know what
to say. Thanks. Not that I didn't earn it after all you put me
through. If you ever want to set me up again, feel free. You know, you
and I should consider doing business together. Two enterprising
gentlemen like us could do all right for ourselves. Take that gold
dust of yours. It doesn't have to be a total loss. I hear there're
some primitive cultures who consider it quite valuable.




This is somewhat confusing. My question is: What is the value of Gold in the 24th century? Is it still considered a precious metal?

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