Every morning for the last six months, the low purr of idling engines stirs a quiet stretch of Willamette Street awake. A handful of cars line the curb, their drivers watching the door of a small shop with zip-close bags, envelopes and jewelry boxes in their laps.
Their wait ends at 9:30 sharp, when Matt Wallace opens Eugene Coin & Jewelry. What follows looks like any other morning rush — except this one runs on gold.
Once a “safe haven” against inflation, gold’s value has surged more than 50% since January, now topping $4,000 an ounce. The spike signals global unease, but for Wallace and other precious metal dealers across the country, it’s meant booming business…