This St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns are especially lucky. The proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is worth more than ever. Of course, that's just a legend, but skyrocketing prices for gold may mean riches for real people.

"People are not optimistic about the economy, but coins are still going gangbusters," dealer Tim Puro said. Gold is trading at more than a thousand dollars an ounce.

Puro, who owns Puro's Coins and Jewelry in Rutland, said it's a good time to be a dealer. "A lot of people are buying gold right now because they're not as optimistic about the stock market. As a hedge for stocks, they like to have something tangible and gold is one of the first things they go to," he said.

Puro was one of a dozen dealers buying, selling and trading gold and other precious metals at the Burlington Coin Show Sunday. read more