star trek - Why can latinum not be replicated?

According to Memory Alpha, Latinum cannot be replicated. What is the reason for that?

Answer

According to several sources, including the TNG novel "Balance of Power", latinum is described as being so dense and complex that the replicators are unable to restructure matter into a form that duplicates it. In its natural state, latinum is a liquid which is mined from certain types of nebulae. It is pressed into gold in order to make it more usable as a means of currency.

Of course, the explanations came later. Originally it was simply a story element created as a means of having non-credit monetary transactions in a universe where a replicator could create anything you want.

Comments

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