Since the beginning of time, metals such as gold and silver are widely recognised as valuable and they have a place in every savvy investor's portfolio. Precious metals offer unique inflationary protection - they have intrinsic value, they carry no credit risk and they themselves cannot be inflated (you can't print more of them). They also offer genuine "upheaval insurance", against financial or political/military upheavals. From an investment theory standpoint, precious metals also provide low