10-Q

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-Q

x	QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
	For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2012
or
o	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
	For the Transition Period from _____________ to _____________

Commission File Number: 001-34441

ETFS GOLD TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York	26-4587209
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
c/o ETF Securities USA LLC
48 Wall Street, 11th Floor
New York, NY	10005
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(212) 918-4954

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	x	Accelerated filer        o
Non accelerated filer	o	Smaller reporting company        o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes o No x

As of May 9, 2012, ETFS Gold Trust has 11,000,000 ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares outstanding.

ETFS GOLD TRUST

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 31, 2012

INDEX

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.	Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited)	1
Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	10
Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	12
Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	12
Item 4T.	Controls and Procedures	12
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	13
Item 1A	Risk Factors	13
Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	13
Item 3.	Defaults Upon Senior Securities	13
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	13
Item 5.	Other Information	13
Item 6.	Exhibits	14
SIGNATURES		15

ETFS GOLD TRUST

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Condensed Financial Statements (Unaudited)

Condensed Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited)
At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011

	March 31, 2012			December 31, 2011 (3)
ASSETS
Investment in gold (1)	$	1,441,658,396		$	1,376,845,277
Total assets	$	1,441,658,396		$	1,376,845,277
LIABILITIES
Fees payable to Sponsor	$	609,801		$	560,620
Total liabilities		609,801			560,620
REDEEMABLE SHARES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Shares at redemption value to investors (2)		1,826,999,894			1,677,362,792
Shareholders’ deficit		(385,951,299	)		(301,078,135	)
Total liabilities, redeemable Shares and shareholders’ deficit	$	1,441,658,396		$	1,376,845,277

(1)	The market value of investment in gold at March 31, 2012 was $1,827,609,695 and at December 31, 2011 was $1,677,923,412.
(2)	Authorized share capital is unlimited with no par value per share. Shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2012 were 11,100,000 and at December 31, 2011 were 10,750,000.
(3)	Derived from audited Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2011.

See Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Condensed Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Three months ended March 31, 2011
REVENUES
Value of gold transferred to pay expenses	$	1,729,006		$	1,100,821
Cost of gold transferred to pay expenses		(1,358,232	)		(946,203	)
Gain on gold transferred to pay expenses		370,774			154,618
Gain on gold distributed for the redemption of shares		5,199,633			1,434,889
Total gain on gold		5,570,407			1,589,507
EXPENSES
Sponsor’s Fee		1,778,181			1,141,622
Total expenses		1,778,181			1,141,622
Net gain from operations	$	3,792,226		$	447,885
Net gain per Share	$	0.35		$	0.05
Weighted average number of Shares		10,977,473			8,564,444

See Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Three months ended March 31, 2011
INCREASE / (DECREASE) IN CASH FROM OPERATIONS:
Cash proceeds received from transfer of gold	$	—		$	—
Cash expenses paid		—			—
Increase in cash resulting from operations		—			—
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period		—			—
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$	—		$	—
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Value of gold received for creation of Shares	$	85,649,215		$	124,135,668
Value of gold distributed for redemption of Shares - at average cost	$	19,477,864		$	11,762,856
RECONCILIATION OF NET GAIN TO NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net gain from operations	$	3,792,226		$	447,885
Adjustments to reconcile net gain to net cash provided by operating activities:
Increase in gold assets		(64,813,119	)		(111,426,609	)
Increase in fees payable to Sponsor		49,181			40,801
Increase / (decrease) in redeemable Shares:
Creations		85,649,211			124,135,668
Redemptions		(24,677,499	)		(13,197,745	)
Net cash provided by operating activities	$	—		$	—
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH ITEM:
Value of gold transferred to pay expenses	$	1,729,006		$	1,100,821

See Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Deficit (Unaudited)
For the three months ended March 31, 2012

	Three months ended March 31, 2012
Shareholders’ deficit - opening balance	$	(301,078,135	)
Net gain for the period		3,792,226
Adjustment of redeemable Shares to redemption value		(88,665,390	)
Shareholders’ deficit - closing balance	$	(385,951,299	)

See Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements

1. Organization

The ETFS Gold Trust (the “Trust”) is an investment trust formed on September 1, 2009 under New York law pursuant to a depositary trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by ETF Securities USA LLC (the “Sponsor”) and the Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) at the time of the Trust’s organization. The Trust holds gold bullion and issues ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (“Shares”) (in minimum blocks of 50,000 Shares, also referred to as “Baskets”) in exchange for deposits of gold and distributes gold in connection with the redemption of Baskets. Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust which are issued by the Trust. The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETF Securities Limited, a Jersey, Channel Islands based company. The Trust is governed by the Trust Agreement.

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold, less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide an individual owner of beneficial interests in the Shares (a “Shareholder”) an opportunity to participate in the gold market through an investment in securities. The fiscal year end for the Trust is December 31.

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions for the Form 10-Q. In the opinion of the Trust’s management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for all periods presented have been made.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. These condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires those responsible for preparing financial statements to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust.

2.1. Valuation of Gold

Gold is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at the Zurich, Switzerland vaulting premises of UBS A.G. (the “Zurich Sub-Custodian”) and is valued, for financial statement purposes, at the lower of cost or market. The cost of gold is determined according to the average cost method and the market value is based on the London PM Fix used to determine the net asset value (the “NAV”) of the Trust. Realized gains and losses on transfers of gold, or gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, are calculated on a trade date basis using average cost. The London PM Fix price for gold is set using the afternoon session of the twice daily fix of the price of gold by five market making members of the London Bullion Market Association at approximately 3:00 PM London Time, on each working day.

Once the value of gold has been determined, the NAV is computed by the Trustee by deducting all accrued fees and other liabilities of the Trust, including the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), from the fair value of the gold and all other assets held by the Trust.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

2.1. Valuation of Gold (Continued)

The table below summarizes the unrealized gains or losses on the Trust’s gold holdings as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

	March 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Investment in gold - average cost	$	1,441,658,396	$	1,376,845,277
Unrealized gain on investment in gold		385,951,299		301,078,135
Investment in gold - market value	$	1,827,609,695	$	1,677,923,412

The Trust recognizes the diminution in value of the investment in gold which arises from market declines on an interim basis. Increases in the value of the investment in gold through market price recoveries in later interim periods of the same fiscal year are recognized in the later interim period. Increases in value recognized on an interim basis may not exceed the previously recognized diminution in value.

The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee, using the London PM Fix to calculate the gold amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering gold sales have not yet been made, and represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, to cover expenses and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.

2.2. Gold Receivable and Payable

Gold receivable or payable represents the quantity of gold covered by contractually binding orders for the creation or redemption of Shares respectively, where the gold has not yet been transferred to or from the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of the gold is transferred within three business days of the trade date. There was no gold receivable or payable at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

2.3. Creations and Redemptions of Shares

The Trust expects to create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The Trust issues Shares in Baskets to Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. An Authorized Participant is a person who (1) is a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant such as a bank or other financial institution which is not required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions, (2) is a participant in The Depository Trust Company, (3) has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trustee and the Sponsor, and (4) has established an Authorized Participant Unallocated Account with the Trust’s Custodian or other gold clearing bank. An Authorized Participant Agreement is an agreement entered into by each Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Trustee which provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of the gold required for such creations and redemptions. An Authorized Participant Unallocated Account is an unallocated gold account, either loco London or loco Zurich, established with the Custodian or a gold clearing bank by an Authorized Participant.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

2.3. Creations and Redemptions of Shares (Continued)

The creation and redemption of Baskets is only made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of gold represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the combined NAV of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.

Authorized Participants may, on any business day, place an order with the Trustee to create or redeem one or more Baskets. The typical settlement period for Shares is three business days. In the event of a trade date at period end, where a settlement is pending, a respective account receivable and/or payable will be recorded. When gold is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of gold for financial statement purposes.

The amount of bullion represented by the Baskets created or redeemed can only be settled to the nearest 1/1000th of an ounce. As a result, the value attributed to the creation or redemption of Shares may differ from the value of bullion to be delivered or distributed by the Trust. In order to ensure that the correct metal is available at all times to back the Shares, the Sponsor accepts an adjustment to its management fees in the event of any shortfall or excess. For each transaction, this amount is not more than 1/1000th of an ounce.

The Shares of the Trust are classified as “Redeemable Shares” for financial statement purposes, since they are subject to redemption at the option of Authorized Participants. Outstanding Shares are reflected at redemption value, which represents the maximum obligation (based on NAV per Share), with the difference from historical cost recorded as an offsetting amount to retained earnings. When gold is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, a gain or loss in the amount of the difference between the market value on the trade date and the historical cost is recorded to the Condensed Statement of Operations.

Changes in the Shares for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 2011 are set out below:

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Year ended December 31, 2011
Number of redeemable Shares
Opening balance		10,750,000			8,250,000
Creations		500,000			2,950,000
Redemptions		(150,000	)		(450,000	)
Closing balance		11,100,000			10,750,000
Redeemable Shares:
Opening balance	$	1,677,362,792		$	1,157,505,203
Creations		85,649,211			466,052,755
Redemptions		(24,677,499	)		(71,329,603	)
Adjustment to redemption value		88,665,390			125,134,437
Closing balance	$	1,826,999,894		$	1,677,362,792
Redemption value per Share at period end	$	164.59		$	156.03

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

2.4. Revenue Recognition Policy

The primary expense of the Trust is the Sponsor’s Fee, which is paid by the Trust through in-kind transfers of gold to the Sponsor. With respect to expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay these expenses. When selling gold to pay expenses, the Trustee will endeavor to sell the smallest amounts of gold needed to pay these expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than gold.

Unless otherwise directed by the Sponsor, when selling gold the Trustee will endeavor to sell at the price established by the London PM Fix. The Trustee will place orders with dealers (which may include the Custodian) through which the Trustee expects to receive the most favorable price and execution of orders. The Custodian may be the purchaser of such gold only if the sale transaction is made at the next London PM Fix or such other publicly available price that the Sponsor deems fair, in each case as set following the sale order. A gain or loss is recognized based on the difference between the selling price and the average cost of the gold sold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor is liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale.

2.5. Income Taxes

The Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses will “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report the Trust’s proceeds, income, deductions, gains, and losses to the Internal Revenue Service on that basis.

The Sponsor has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions are required as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

2.6. Investment in Gold

Changes in ounces of gold and the respective values for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 2011 are set out below:

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Year ended December 31, 2011
Ounces of gold
Opening balance		1,065,686.5			821,051.2
Creations		49,525.5			292,915.5
Redemptions		(14,852.6	)		(44,662.3	)
Transfers of gold		(1,045.3	)		(3,617.9	)
Closing balance		1,099,314.1			1,065,686.5
Investment in gold (lower of cost or market value)
Opening balance	$	1,376,845,277		$	971,070,331
Creations		85,649,215			466,052,746
Redemptions		(19,477,864	)		(55,843,669	)
Transfers of gold		(1,358,232	)		(4,434,131	)
Closing balance	$	1,441,658,396		$	1,376,845,277

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

2. Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

2.7. Expenses

The Trust will transfer gold to the Sponsor to pay the Sponsor’s Fee that will accrue daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.39% of the adjusted net asset value (“ANAV”) of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears.

The Sponsor has agreed to assume administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, including the Trustee’s monthly fee and out of pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses, exchange listing fees, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and certain legal expenses.

For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011 the Sponsor’s Fee was $1,778,181 and $1,141,622, respectively. At March 31, 2012 and at December 31, 2011, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $609,801 and $560,620, respectively.

2.8. Subsequent Events

In accordance with the provisions set forth in Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 855-10, Subsequent Events, the Trust’s management has evaluated the possibility of subsequent events existing in the Trust’s financial statements through the filing date. During this period, no material subsequent events were identified.

3. Related Parties

The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s fee is paid by the Sponsor and is not a separate expense of the Trust. The Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell gold or Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.

4. Concentration of Risk

The Trust’s sole business activity is the investment in gold, and substantially all the Trust’s assets are holdings of gold which creates a concentration of risk associated with fluctuations in the price of gold. Several factors could affect the price of gold, including: (i) global gold supply and demand, which is influenced by factors such as forward selling by gold producers, purchases made by gold producers to unwind gold hedge positions, central bank purchases and sales, and production and cost levels in major gold-producing countries; (ii) investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; (iii) currency exchange rates; (iv) interest rates; (v) investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and (vi) global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. In addition, there is no assurance that gold will maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. In the event that the price of gold declines, the Sponsor expects the value of an investment in the Shares to decline proportionately. Each of these events could have a material effect on the Trust’s financial position and results of operations.

5. Indemnification

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the Trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) and the Sponsor (and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees and affiliates) are indemnified by the Trust against any liability, cost or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part and without reckless disregard on its part of its obligations and duties under the Trust’s organizational documents. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This information should be read in conjunction with the unaudited condensed financial statements and notes to the unaudited condensed financial statements included in Item 1 of Part 1 of this Form 10-Q. The discussion and analysis that follows may contain forward-looking statements with respect to the Trust’s financial conditions, operations, future performance and business. These statements can be identified by the use of the words “may”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential” or similar words and phrases. These statements are based upon certain assumptions and analyses the Sponsor has made based on its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Neither the Trust nor the Sponsor is under a duty to update any of the forward looking statements, to conform such statements to actual results or to reflect a change in management’s expectations or predictions.

Introduction

The Trust is a common law trust, formed under the laws of the state of New York on September 1, 2009. The Trust is not managed like a corporation or an active investment vehicle. It does not have any officers, directors, or employees and is administered by the Trustee pursuant to the Trust Agreement. The Trust is not registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not required to register under such act. It will not hold or trade in commodity futures contracts, nor is it a commodity pool, subject to regulation as a commodity pool operator or a commodity trading adviser in connection with issuing Shares.

The Trust holds gold and is expected to issue Baskets in exchange for deposits of gold, and to distribute gold in connection with redemptions of Baskets. Shares issued by the Trust represent units of undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold, less the Trust’s expenses. The Sponsor believes that, for many investors, the Shares will represent a cost effective investment relative to traditional means of investing in gold.

The Trust issues and redeems Shares only with Authorized Participants in exchange for Gold, only in aggregations of 50,000 or integral multiples thereof. A list of current Authorized Participants is available from the Sponsor or the Trustee.

Shares of the Trust trade on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) Arca under the symbol “SGOL”.

Valuation of Gold and Computation of Net Asset Value

As of the London PM Fix on each day that the NYSE Arca is open for regular trading or as soon as practicable after 4:00 p.m. New York time on such day, (the “Evaluation Time”) the Trustee values the gold held by the Trust and determines both the ANAV and the NAV of the Trust.

At the Evaluation Time, the Trustee values the Trust’s gold on the basis of that day’s London PM Fix, or, if no London PM Fix is made on such day or has not been announced by the Evaluation Time, the next most recent London gold price (AM or PM) determined prior to the Evaluation Time is used, unless the Sponsor determines that such price is inappropriate as a basis for valuation. In the case this determination is made, the Sponsor will identify an alternative basis for such evaluation to be used by the Trustee.

Once the value of the gold held by the Trust has been determined, the Trustee subtracts all estimated accrued but unpaid fees and other liabilities of the Trust from the total value of the gold and all other assets of the Trust. The resulting figure is the ANAV of the Trust. The ANAV is used to compute the Sponsor’s Fee.

The Trustee then subtracts from the ANAV the amount of Sponsor’s Fees computed for such day to determine the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Trust. The Trustee also determines the NAV per Share by dividing the NAV of the Trust by the number of Shares outstanding as of the close of trading on the NYSE Arca.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

The Quarter Ended March 31, 2012

The NAV of the Trust is obtained by subtracting the Trust’s liabilities on any day from the value of the gold owned and receivable by the Trust on that day; the NAV per Share is obtained by dividing the NAV of the Trust on a given day by the number of Shares outstanding on that day.

The Trust’s NAV increased from $1,677,362,792 at December 31, 2011 to $1,826,999,894 at March 31, 2012, an 8.92 % increase for the quarter. The increase in the Trust’s NAV resulted primarily from an increase in the price per ounce of gold, which rose 5.59 % from $1,574.50 at December 31, 2011 to $1,662.50 at March 31, 2012 and an increase in outstanding Shares, which rose from 10,750,000 Shares at December 31, 2011 to 11,100,000 Shares at March 31, 2012, a result of 500,000 Shares (10 Baskets) being created and 150,000 Shares (3 Baskets) being redeemed during the quarter.

NAV per Share increased 5.49 % from $156.03 at December 31, 2011 to $164.59 at March 31, 2012. The Trust’s NAV per Share rose slightly less than the price per ounce of gold on a percentage basis due to Sponsor’s Fees, which were $1,778,181 for the quarter, or 0.39% of the Trust’s assets on an annualized basis.

The NAV per Share of $176.39 at February 28, 2012 was the highest during the quarter, compared with a low of $158.36 at January 3, 2012.

Net gain from operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 was $3,792,226, resulting from a net gain of $370,774 on the transfer of gold to pay expenses and a net gain of $5,199,633 on gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, offset by Sponsor’s Fees of $1,778,181. Other than the Sponsor’s Fee, the Trust had no expenses during the quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Liquidity & Capital Resources

The Trust is not aware of any trends, demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that are reasonably likely to result in material changes to its liquidity needs. In exchange for the Sponsor’s Fee, the Sponsor has agreed to assume most of the expenses incurred by the Trust. As a result, the only ordinary expense of the Trust during the period covered by this report was the Sponsor’s Fee.

The Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay the Trust’s expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor. The Trustee will not sell gold to pay the Sponsor’s Fee but will pay the Sponsor’s Fee through in-kind transfers of gold to the Sponsor. At March 31, 2012 the Trust did not have any cash balances.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Trust has no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies

The unaudited condensed financial statements and accompanying notes are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these unaudited condensed financial statements relies on estimates and assumptions that impact the Trust’s financial position and results of operations. These estimates and assumptions affect the Trust’s application of accounting policies. In addition, please refer to Note 2 to the unaudited condensed financial statements for further discussion of accounting policies.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Not applicable.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

The Trust maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in its reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, and to the audit committee, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor, the Sponsor conducted an evaluation of the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, as defined under Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15(d)-15(e). Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Sponsor concluded that, as of March 31, 2012, the Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

There have been no changes in the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Trust’s fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2012 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Trust’s or Sponsor’s internal control over financial reporting.

Item 4T. Controls and Procedures

Not applicable.

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ETFS GOLD TRUST

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

None.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Item 2(a).	None.
Item 2(b).	Not applicable.
Item 2(c).	For the three months ended March 31, 2012:
	10 Baskets were created.
	3 Baskets were redeemed.

Period	Total Baskets Redeemed		Total Shares Redeemed		Average Ounces of Silver Per Share
January 2012		—		—		—
February 2012		—		—		—
March 2012		3		150,000		0.0990
Total		3		150,000		0.0990

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

Item 5. Other Information

None.

13

Item 6. Exhibits

(a) Exhibits

31.1	Chief Executive Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2	Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1	Chief Executive Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.2	Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document*
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document*
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Document*
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definitions Document*
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Document*
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Document*

* In accordance with Regulation S-T, the XBRL-related information in Exhibit 101 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q shall be deemed to be “furnished” and not “filed.”

14

SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned in the capacities thereunto duly authorized.

	ETF SECURITIES USA LLC
	Sponsor of the ETFS Gold Trust
	(Registrant)
Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Graham Tuckwell
	Graham Tuckwell President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)
Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Thomas Quigley
	Thomas Quigley Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

* The Registrant is a trust and the persons are signing in their capacities as officers of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

15

EX-31.1

Exhibit 31.1

FORM OF CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14 AND 15d-14
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED
CERTIFICATIONS

I, Graham Tuckwell, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of ETFS Gold Trust;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Graham Tuckwell
	Graham Tuckwell President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

* The Registrant is a trust and Mr. Tuckwell is signing in his capacity as an officer of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

EX-31.2

Exhibit 31.2

FORM OF CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14 AND 15d-14
UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED
CERTIFICATIONS

I, Thomas Quigley, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of ETFS Gold Trust;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Thomas Quigley
	Thomas Quigley Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

* The Registrant is a trust and Mr. Quigley is signing in his capacity as an officer of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

EX-32.1

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of ETFS Gold Trust (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2012 (the “Report”), the undersigned, in the capacity and on the date indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Graham Tuckwell
	Graham Tuckwell President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)

* The Registrant is a trust and Mr. Tuckwell is signing in his capacity as an officer of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

EX-32.2

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of ETFS Gold Trust (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 10, 2012 (the “Report”), the undersigned, in the capacity and on the date indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: May 10, 2012	/s/ Thomas Quigley
	Thomas Quigley Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

* The Registrant is a trust and Mr. Quigley is signing in his capacity as an officer of ETF Securities USA LLC, the Sponsor of the Registrant.

XML

Related Parties

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Related Party Transactions Disclosure [Text Block]

3. Related Parties

The Sponsor and the Trustee are considered to be related parties to the Trust. The Trustee’s fee is paid by the Sponsor and is not a separate expense of the Trust. The Trustee and the Custodian and their affiliates may from time to time act as Authorized Participants or purchase or sell gold or Shares for their own account, as agent for their customers and for accounts over which they exercise investment discretion.

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Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

2. Significant Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires those responsible for preparing financial statements to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts and disclosures. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Trust.

2.1. Valuation of Gold

Gold is held by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Custodian”), on behalf of the Trust, at the Zurich, Switzerland vaulting premises of UBS A.G. (the “Zurich Sub-Custodian”) and is valued, for financial statement purposes, at the lower of cost or market. The cost of gold is determined according to the average cost method and the market value is based on the London PM Fix used to determine the net asset value (the “NAV”) of the Trust. Realized gains and losses on transfers of gold, or gold distributed for the redemption of Shares, are calculated on a trade date basis using average cost. The London PM Fix price for gold is set using the afternoon session of the twice daily fix of the price of gold by five market making members of the London Bullion Market Association at approximately 3:00 PM London Time, on each working day.

Once the value of gold has been determined, the NAV is computed by the Trustee by deducting all accrued fees and other liabilities of the Trust, including the remuneration due to the Sponsor (the “Sponsor’s Fee”), from the fair value of the gold and all other assets held by the Trust.

The table below summarizes the unrealized gains or losses on the Trust’s gold holdings as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011:

	March 31, 2012		December 31, 2011
Investment in gold - average cost	$	1,441,658,396	$	1,376,845,277
Unrealized gain on investment in gold		385,951,299		301,078,135
Investment in gold - market value	$	1,827,609,695	$	1,677,923,412

The Trust recognizes the diminution in value of the investment in gold which arises from market declines on an interim basis. Increases in the value of the investment in gold through market price recoveries in later interim periods of the same fiscal year are recognized in the later interim period. Increases in value recognized on an interim basis may not exceed the previously recognized diminution in value.

The per Share amount of gold exchanged for a purchase or redemption is calculated daily by the Trustee, using the London PM Fix to calculate the gold amount in respect of any liabilities for which covering gold sales have not yet been made, and represents the per Share amount of gold held by the Trust, after giving effect to its liabilities, to cover expenses and liabilities and any losses that may have occurred.

2.2. Gold Receivable and Payable

Gold receivable or payable represents the quantity of gold covered by contractually binding orders for the creation or redemption of Shares respectively, where the gold has not yet been transferred to or from the Trust’s account. Generally, ownership of the gold is transferred within three business days of the trade date. There was no gold receivable or payable at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

2.3. Creations and Redemptions of Shares

The Trust expects to create and redeem Shares from time to time, but only in one or more Baskets. The Trust issues Shares in Baskets to Authorized Participants on an ongoing basis. Individual investors cannot purchase or redeem Shares in direct transactions with the Trust. An Authorized Participant is a person who (1) is a registered broker-dealer or other securities market participant such as a bank or other financial institution which is not required to register as a broker-dealer to engage in securities transactions, (2) is a participant in The Depository Trust Company, (3) has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Trustee and the Sponsor, and (4) has established an Authorized Participant Unallocated Account with the Trust’s Custodian or other gold clearing bank. An Authorized Participant Agreement is an agreement entered into by each Authorized Participant, the Sponsor and the Trustee which provides the procedures for the creation and redemption of Baskets and for the delivery of the gold required for such creations and redemptions. An Authorized Participant Unallocated Account is an unallocated gold account, either loco London or loco Zurich, established with the Custodian or a gold clearing bank by an Authorized Participant.

The creation and redemption of Baskets is only made in exchange for the delivery to the Trust or the distribution by the Trust of the amount of gold represented by the Baskets being created or redeemed, the amount of which is based on the combined NAV of the number of Shares included in the Baskets being created or redeemed determined on the day the order to create or redeem Baskets is properly received.

Authorized Participants may, on any business day, place an order with the Trustee to create or redeem one or more Baskets. The typical settlement period for Shares is three business days. In the event of a trade date at period end, where a settlement is pending, a respective account receivable and/or payable will be recorded. When gold is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, it is considered a sale of gold for financial statement purposes.

The amount of bullion represented by the Baskets created or redeemed can only be settled to the nearest 1/1000th of an ounce. As a result, the value attributed to the creation or redemption of Shares may differ from the value of bullion to be delivered or distributed by the Trust. In order to ensure that the correct metal is available at all times to back the Shares, the Sponsor accepts an adjustment to its management fees in the event of any shortfall or excess. For each transaction, this amount is not more than 1/1000th of an ounce.

The Shares of the Trust are classified as “Redeemable Shares” for financial statement purposes, since they are subject to redemption at the option of Authorized Participants. Outstanding Shares are reflected at redemption value, which represents the maximum obligation (based on NAV per Share), with the difference from historical cost recorded as an offsetting amount to retained earnings. When gold is exchanged in settlement of a redemption, a gain or loss in the amount of the difference between the market value on the trade date and the historical cost is recorded to the Condensed Statement of Operations.

Changes in the Shares for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 2011 are set out below:

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Year ended December 31, 2011
Number of redeemable Shares
Opening balance		10,750,000			8,250,000
Creations		500,000			2,950,000
Redemptions		(150,000	)		(450,000	)
Closing balance		11,100,000			10,750,000
Redeemable Shares:
Opening balance	$	1,677,362,792		$	1,157,505,203
Creations		85,649,211			466,052,755
Redemptions		(24,677,499	)		(71,329,603	)
Adjustment to redemption value		88,665,390			125,134,437
Closing balance	$	1,826,999,894		$	1,677,362,792
Redemption value per Share at period end	$	164.59		$	156.03

2.4. Revenue Recognition Policy

The primary expense of the Trust is the Sponsor’s Fee, which is paid by the Trust through in-kind transfers of gold to the Sponsor. With respect to expenses not otherwise assumed by the Sponsor, the Trustee will, at the direction of the Sponsor or in its own discretion, sell the Trust’s gold as necessary to pay these expenses. When selling gold to pay expenses, the Trustee will endeavor to sell the smallest amounts of gold needed to pay these expenses in order to minimize the Trust’s holdings of assets other than gold.

Unless otherwise directed by the Sponsor, when selling gold the Trustee will endeavor to sell at the price established by the London PM Fix. The Trustee will place orders with dealers (which may include the Custodian) through which the Trustee expects to receive the most favorable price and execution of orders. The Custodian may be the purchaser of such gold only if the sale transaction is made at the next London PM Fix or such other publicly available price that the Sponsor deems fair, in each case as set following the sale order. A gain or loss is recognized based on the difference between the selling price and the average cost of the gold sold. Neither the Trustee nor the Sponsor is liable for depreciation or loss incurred by reason of any sale.

2.5. Income Taxes

The Trust is classified as a “grantor trust” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Trust itself will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax. Instead, the Trust’s income and expenses will “flow through” to the Shareholders, and the Trustee will report the Trust’s proceeds, income, deductions, gains, and losses to the Internal Revenue Service on that basis.

The Sponsor has evaluated whether or not there are uncertain tax positions that require financial statement recognition and has determined that no reserves for uncertain tax positions are required as of March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

2.6. Investment in Gold

Changes in ounces of gold and the respective values for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for the year ended December 31, 2011 are set out below:

	Three months ended March 31, 2012			Year ended December 31, 2011
Ounces of gold
Opening balance		1,065,686.5			821,051.2
Creations		49,525.5			292,915.5
Redemptions		(14,852.6	)		(44,662.3	)
Transfers of gold		(1,045.3	)		(3,617.9	)
Closing balance		1,099,314.1			1,065,686.5
Investment in gold (lower of cost or market value)
Opening balance	$	1,376,845,277		$	971,070,331
Creations		85,649,215			466,052,746
Redemptions		(19,477,864	)		(55,843,669	)
Transfers of gold		(1,358,232	)		(4,434,131	)
Closing balance	$	1,441,658,396		$	1,376,845,277

2.7. Expenses

The Trust will transfer gold to the Sponsor to pay the Sponsor’s Fee that will accrue daily at an annualized rate equal to 0.39% of the adjusted net asset value (“ANAV”) of the Trust, paid monthly in arrears.

The Sponsor has agreed to assume administrative and marketing expenses incurred by the Trust, including the Trustee’s monthly fee and out of pocket expenses, the Custodian’s fee and the reimbursement of the Custodian’s expenses, exchange listing fees, United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) registration fees, printing and mailing costs, audit fees and certain legal expenses.

For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and March 31, 2011 the Sponsor’s Fee was $1,778,181 and $1,141,622, respectively. At March 31, 2012 and at December 31, 2011, the fees payable to the Sponsor were $609,801 and $560,620, respectively.

2.8. Subsequent Events

In accordance with the provisions set forth in Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification 855-10, Subsequent Events, the Trust’s management has evaluated the possibility of subsequent events existing in the Trust’s financial statements through the filing date. During this period, no material subsequent events were identified.

XML

Condensed Statements of Financial Condition (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
ASSETS
Investment in gold (1)	$ 1,441,658,396	[1]	$ 1,376,845,277	[1],[2]
Total assets	1,441,658,396		1,376,845,277	[2]
LIABILITIES
Fees payable to Sponsor	609,801		560,620	[2]
Total liabilities	609,801		560,620	[2]
REDEEMABLE SHARES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Shares at redemption value to investors (2)	1,826,999,894	[3]	1,677,362,792	[3]
Shareholders’ deficit	(385,951,299)		(301,078,135)	[2]
Total liabilities, redeemable Shares and shareholders’ deficit	$ 1,441,658,396		$ 1,376,845,277	[2]

[1] The market value of investment in gold at March 31, 2012 was $1,827,609,695 and at December 31, 2011 was $1,677,923,412.

[2] Derived from audited Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2011.

[3] Authorized share capital is unlimited with no par value per share. Shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2012 were 11,100,000 and at December 31, 2011 were 10,750,000.

XML

Condensed Statement of Changes in Shareholders' Deficit (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012
Shareholders’ deficit - opening balance	$ (301,078,135)	[1]
Net gain for the period	3,792,226
Adjustment of redeemable Shares to redemption value	(88,665,390)
Shareholders’ deficit - closing balance	$ (385,951,299)

[1] Derived from audited Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2011.

XML

Organization

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

1. Organization

The ETFS Gold Trust (the “Trust”) is an investment trust formed on September 1, 2009 under New York law pursuant to a depositary trust agreement (the “Trust Agreement”) executed by ETF Securities USA LLC (the “Sponsor”) and the Bank of New York Mellon (the “Trustee”) at the time of the Trust’s organization. The Trust holds gold bullion and issues ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares (“Shares”) (in minimum blocks of 50,000 Shares, also referred to as “Baskets”) in exchange for deposits of gold and distributes gold in connection with the redemption of Baskets. Shares represent units of fractional undivided beneficial interest in and ownership of the Trust which are issued by the Trust. The Sponsor is a Delaware limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ETF Securities Limited, a Jersey, Channel Islands based company. The Trust is governed by the Trust Agreement.

The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold, less the Trust’s expenses and liabilities. The Trust is designed to provide an individual owner of beneficial interests in the Shares (a “Shareholder”) an opportunity to participate in the gold market through an investment in securities. The fiscal year end for the Trust is December 31.

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements were prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions for the Form 10-Q. In the opinion of the Trust’s management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and for all periods presented have been made.

Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted. These condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

XML

Condensed Statements of Financial Condition (Parentheticals) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Market value of investment in Gold (in Dollars)	$ 1,827,609,695	$ 1,677,923,412	[1]
Common stock, shares authorized	Unlimited	Unlimited	[1]
Common stock, shares issued	11,100,000	10,750,000	[1]
Common stock, shares outstanding	11,100,000	10,750,000	[1]

[1] Derived from audited Statement of Financial Condition as of December 31, 2011.

XML

Document And Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	May 09, 2012
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	ETFS Gold Trust
Document Type	10-Q
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		11,000,000
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0001450923
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2013
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1

XML

Condensed Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
REVENUES
Value of gold transferred to pay expenses	$ 1,729,006	$ 1,100,821
Cost of gold transferred to pay expenses	(1,358,232)	(946,203)
Gain on gold transferred to pay expenses	370,774	154,618
Gain on gold distributed for the redemption of shares	5,199,633	1,434,889
Total gain on gold	5,570,407	1,589,507
EXPENSES
Sponsor’s Fee	1,778,181	1,141,622
Total expenses	1,778,181	1,141,622
Net gain from operations	$ 3,792,226	$ 447,885
Net gain per Share (in Dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.05
Weighted average number of Shares (in Shares)	10,977,473	8,564,444

XML

Indemnification

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

5. Indemnification

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, the Trustee (and its directors, employees and agents) and the Sponsor (and its members, managers, directors, officers, employees and affiliates) are indemnified by the Trust against any liability, cost or expense it incurs without gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct on its part and without reckless disregard on its part of its obligations and duties under the Trust’s organizational documents. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred.

XML

Condensed Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
INCREASE / (DECREASE) IN CASH FROM OPERATIONS:
Cash proceeds received from transfer of gold	$ 0	$ 0
Cash expenses paid	0	0
Increase in cash resulting from operations	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Value of gold received for creation of Shares	85,649,215	124,135,668
Value of gold distributed for redemption of Shares - at average cost	19,477,864	11,762,856
RECONCILIATION OF NET GAIN TO NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net gain from operations	3,792,226	447,885
Adjustments to reconcile net gain to net cash provided by operating activities:
Increase in gold assets	(64,813,119)	(111,426,609)
Increase in fees payable to Sponsor	49,181	40,801
Increase / (decrease) in redeemable Shares:
Creations	85,649,211	124,135,668
Redemptions	(24,677,499)	(13,197,745)
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH ITEM:
Value of gold transferred to pay expenses	$ 1,729,006	$ 1,100,821

XML

Concentration of Risk

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block]

4. Concentration of Risk

The Trust’s sole business activity is the investment in gold, and substantially all the Trust’s assets are holdings of gold which creates a concentration of risk associated with fluctuations in the price of gold. Several factors could affect the price of gold, including: (i) global gold supply and demand, which is influenced by factors such as forward selling by gold producers, purchases made by gold producers to unwind gold hedge positions, central bank purchases and sales, and production and cost levels in major gold-producing countries; (ii) investors’ expectations with respect to the rate of inflation; (iii) currency exchange rates; (iv) interest rates; (v) investment and trading activities of hedge funds and commodity funds; and (vi) global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations. In addition, there is no assurance that gold will maintain its long-term value in terms of purchasing power in the future. In the event that the price of gold declines, the Sponsor expects the value of an investment in the Shares to decline proportionately. Each of these events could have a material effect on the Trust’s financial position and results of operations.