Gold has served as a form of money for thousands of years. Coins and currency have come and gone, but gold has remained valuable throughout time. Alaska is rich in gold. Gold is also shiney, making identification easy. Once you have seen natural gold, it is easy to recognize thereafter.
Gold is softer than other rocks.
It doesn't rust or oxidize. Normal acids won't dissolve it. All of these things are true, but they don't help the miner or prospector. Gold is very heavy. It has a specific gravity of over 19, that is, it is over 19 times heavier than water.