That's a good point, and I think there are many civilizations that have used gold only for its aesthetic value. The Incan empire had ornaments, statues, etc., i

That's a good point, and I think there are many civilizations that have used gold only for its aesthetic value. The Incan empire had ornaments, statues, etc., in pure gold, yet they didn't use it as currency. One of the emperors gifted the Spanish conquistadors a big room full of gold, as a token of friendship. It all went downhill from there.