In the 19th century, gold was the medium of international exchange and the basis for settling accounts (the gold standard). Earlier, during the Age of Exploration, maritime powers such as Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands engaged in colonization and trade activities around the world, and this was closely connected to the quest for gold.
距今不遠的 19 世紀，當時黃金還是國際間交易、決算的基礎（金本位）；更早一點的大航海時期，海上霸權西班牙、葡萄牙、荷蘭人在全球各地的殖民貿易活動，和尋找黃金也有著密切關係。