[alexander_busek]

Gold is a better electrical and thermal conductor than copper.

That is demonstrably false!

Electrical resistivity of Silver = 6.30×10^7 S/m

Thermal conductivity of Silver = 406 W/m K

Electrical resistivity of Copper = 5.96×10^7 S/m

Thermal conductivity of Copper = 385 W/m K

Electrical resistivity of Gold = 4.10×10^7 S/m

Thermal conductivity of Gold = 314 W/m K

Thus, gram for gram, Gold holds 3rd place with respect to both of these properties.

Regards,

[jonascord]

If there isn't enough silver or copper in the rock to make it worthwhile to separate out, gold conductors would be a functional substitute. It has other physical properties, as well. It doesn't oxidize, among other things. You can actually roll it thin enough for functional visual transparency. Remember that, during the Manhattan Project, silver was borrowed from the US treasury to make transformers for uranium separation, since copper was considered a critical war material.

Ultimately, I was trying to point out that shipping it back to Earth wouldn't be profitable. Somehow, gold coins would seem to be worthless out in the Asteroid Belt.

[Boogieman]

Umm, a lower resistivity means it’s a BETTER conductor...