Prabhupāda: Any amount of coins. In our childhood . . . why our childhood? Even when we were young men, the India, generally, they like guinea gold, British guinea, what is called, pound?
Śyāmasundara: One pound, one shilling.
Prabhupāda: So in India it was available, any amount. You pay price and take. And they would melt it and make ornament, that guinea gold. There was no restriction. You can purchase any amount.
Śyāmasundara: Why all of a sudden it changed?
Prabhupāda: But they have lost all gold. There is no gold, simply paper, that's all. Simply blessing, "Yes, you'll get money." (laughter) But you'll never get. In the bank also, any amount of gold you can purchase. Bank was canvassing that, "You take gold from us." I do not know where those gold gone. Nowhere, all over the world, you cannot purchase gold. Even in America.
Śyāmasundara: You can purchase some places, but the price is so high for a small amount.
Prabhupāda: Zurich, you can get.
Śyāmasundara: Yes, Switzerland.
Prabhupāda: But you cannot get out with the gold?
Śyāmasundara: No, officially not.
Prabhupāda: Well? Then? Suppose you purchase gold there. If you want to take out, they will not allow.
Śyāmasundara: Not if they find it.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Śyāmasundara: Officially, no, they will not allow.
Prabhupāda: And these currency notes, the price, commodity, has gone so high due to this rascal currency. Because your enemy country, they print counterfeit and they overflood in the market. So how you can check it? You cannot check.
I know, during wartime, a Chinese man was coming in Calcutta, and he had a purchasing agent who was my friend. So he would come, and he would give a list of goods, especially rare medicines, and he'll deposit with him bunch of notes, "You spend, purchase, and whatever . . ." That means all those notes were counterfeit.