Where streets are lined with gold

GOLD prices have been on a rollercoaster in recent weeks.

- by Tony Jopson of Tony Jopson & Co, Chartered Accountants

> Gold Bullion stored at 'The Vault', guarded by the Ministry of Defence at The Royal Mint

(ROYAL MINT)

In late January, the yellow metal touched a record high above $5,500 an ounce, following a year in which its value had soared.But in early February, the gold price plummeted more than 9%, its sharpest one-day drop since 1983, before a further decline and then a partial recovery in the days that followed.