The jury’s still out on Bitcoin, but a theoretical case can be made for it. From Nick Giambruno at internationalman.com:
French Emperor Napoleon III would use a unique set of aluminum cutlery only for his most honored dinner guests.
Normal guests had to contend with gold utensils.
In the middle of the 19th century, aluminum was more scarce and desirable than even gold.
As a result, aluminum bullion bars found a place among the national treasures of France, and aluminum jewelry became a symbol of the French aristocracy.
Aluminum, known by its atomic number 13 on the periodic table, is a ubiquitous element, yet it mainly exists intertwined in complex chemical compounds and not in its metallic state.
The complex procedure of transforming aluminum compounds into pure aluminum metal was costly, making aluminum harder to produce than gold. The aluminum price at the time reflected that.
In 1852, aluminum hovered around $37 per ounce, significantly more expensive than gold at $20.67 per ounce.
But aluminum’s fate was about to take a dramatic turn towards the end of the 19th century.
Until the internet goes down, power goes off.