Investors who bought gold or commodities at the beginning of the decade tripled their money by 31 December 2009.

This emerges from a Bloomberg analysis to determine how much $100 would have returned over the past decade if it had been invested in six asset classes: gold, commodities, oil, high-grade bonds, US Treasuries and stocks.

“Accordingly, canny long-term investors who have been steadily accumulating Krugerrands are well satisfied with their strategies,” says Alan Demby, executive chairman of The South African Gold Coin Exchange.

“Although ten years is a long investment horizon, the way things stand at present it would not surprise me if a similar phenomenon eventuated in the decade to 2019. Indeed, with several trillion dollars in circulation now compared to ten years ago, the outlook for gold must be compelling as the dollar continues to devalue.”