It has also been claimed there is a ponzi scheme in paper gold, i.e. instruments may not actually be physically backed, so when things go pear-shaped and you ask for physical delivery, you will have to fight other investors over legal ownership. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-12/hsbc-sues-mf-glo...
Given recent banking scandals, anything is possible. Caveat emptor!
Central banks are known buyers at the highs and sellers at the lows. Part of their mandate is "financial stability", and up to and including backstopping out-of-favour assets (like, say, mortgages). I see central banks buying gold as a way to stop a precipitous decline in gold as money rotates sectors.
Then again, this theory happened before this Cyrprus thing, so who knows for sure. Guess we'll see what kind of carnage happens next week.
Then again, this theory happened before this Cyrprus thing, so who knows for sure. Guess we'll see what kind of carnage happens next week.