2
          
          
            Au
            
              6
            
            
              +
            
          
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          
            SeO
            
              4
            
            
              
            
          
          
            
              →
              
                
                  200
                  
                    ∘
                  
                
                C
              
            
          
          
            Au
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          
            
              (
              
                SeO
                
                  4
                
                
                  
                
              
              )
            
            
              3
            
            
              +
            
          
          3
          
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          
            SeO
            
              3
            
            
              +
            
          
          3
          
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          O
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle {\ce {2Au+6H2SeO4->[200^{\circ }C]Au2(SeO4)3+3H2SeO3+3H2O}}}
  
  
    
      
        
          
            Au
            
              4
            
            
              +
            
          
          
            HCl
            
              +
            
          
          
            HNO
            
              3
            
            
              
            
          
          ⟶
          H
          
            [
            
              AuCl
              
                4
              
              
                
              
            
            ]
          
          

          
          +
          NO
          ↑
          +
          2
          
          
            H
            
              2
            
            
              
            
          
          O
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle {\ce {Au+4HCl+HNO3->H[AuCl4]{}+NO\uparrow +2H2O}}}
  Gold is similarly unaffected by most bases.
During Mansa Musas (ruler of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337) hajj to Mecca in 1324, he passed through Cairo in July 1324, and was reportedly accompanied by a camel train that included thousands of people and nearly a hundred camels where he gave away so much gold that it depressed the price in Egypt for over a decade, causing high inflation. A contemporary Arab historian remarked:

Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and was generally above, but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they brought into Egypt and spent there [...]. The European exploration of the Americas was fueled in no small part by reports of the gold ornaments displayed in great profusion by Native American peoples, especially in Mesoamerica, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The Aztecs regarded gold as the product of the gods, calling it literally "god excrement" (teocuitlatl in Nahuatl), and after Moctezuma II was killed, most of this gold was shipped to Spain. However, for the indigenous peoples of North America gold was considered useless and they saw much greater value in other minerals which were directly related to their utility, such as obsidian, flint, and slate.