In what has become an often confusing and somewhat frightening investment market governed by silicon-based machines, gold remains the most concrete of assets. It is a real-world island in a sea of algorithms, artificial intelligence, big data and high-frequency trading. If you are like me and do not trust that world instinctively, you will likely find a safe harbor in 'old reliable' – gold coins and bullion stored safely nearby. Gold, in the end, remains the most effective hedge against the excesses and unpredictability of the new financial virtual reality . . .and what could go wrong with it.