11.   Besides the political concerns, a Beijing government would be less likely to sell Taiwanese gold on the open market, effectively reducing supplies.

12.   Belgium and Netherlands both sold gold last year and Belgium, along with Switzerland, recently announced plans for more sales.

13.   Belgium and the Netherlands both sold gold last year and Belgium, along with Switzerland, recently announced plans for more sales.

14.   A forward sale takes place when miners sell gold borrowed from central banks which they will replace later with metal mined from their own deposits.

15.   A rally in the U.S. dollar against the yen made gold more expensive in Japan since gold is sold in dollars.

16.   Buenaventura slumped amid concerns central banks will sell their gold, further depressing its price.

17.   Bullion prices fell on the expectation some European governments are preparing to sell gold from central bank reserves.

18.   But business is poor, and he deals mainly with hard-pressed people coming in to sell gold, not buy it.

19.   But if the move to a single European currency is delayed, or ended, some analysts think there will be less pressure on central banks to sell gold.

20.   By selling forward, or selling gold that has yet to be mined, producers set prices to cover the costs of future production.