Precious metal Precious metal A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. Historically, precious metals were important as currency but are now regarded mainly as investment and industrial commodities. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium each have an ISO 4217 currency code. The best known precious metals are the coinage metals, which are gold and silver. Although both have industrial uses, they are better known for their uses in art, jewelry, and
Commodity currency deflation. This can have negative or positive effects depending on whether the currency was overvalued or not, deflation can either be positive or negative in the long run as suggested by the effects section of the deflation article. It is important to note that while countries with commodity currencies benefit from the higher demand, countries that import this commodity face the opposite effects. Commodity currencies nature can allow foreign exchange traders to better gauge the value of a currency and predict the movements within the markets based on the perceived value of the commodity to which the currency is tied.