star trek - Why is latinum pressed in gold?

Why is latinum pressed in gold to make "gold-pressed latinum"? Which is worth more?

Is it because latinum is softer than gold (just a guess)?

Answer

Latinum is a liquid at normal temperature and pressure. It's pressed into gold so that it can be weighed, measured, carried, handled, etc. Chemically speaking, gold is one of the least reactive metals -- it does not readily rust, corrode, dissolve, or interact with its environment. This makes it a particularly good choice as a "bonding agent" for latinum.

As far as it's worth, in a society with replicator technology, gold is effectively worthless as currency. You can create as much as you want at will. Latinum, since it cannot be reproduced in a replicator, is basically the only thing in the galaxy that has any real material "value" at all.

Comments

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