It has been a tough year for investors in silver mining stocks, with the precious metal seeing its price plunging by over 14% and stubbornly remaining under US$20 per ounce.

I am so thankful that buy-and-hold investing still works.

The Motley Fool reports in a December 2009 interview, with gold around $1,150 per ounce, the Bank of Korea's Lee Eung Baek said to Bloomberg: "There's an illusion in gold. We follow the big trend. Gold isn't the trend. Gold offers little value." Since then, the metal has appreciated over 40% against the dollar, and Mr. Lee is no longer responsible for reserve management at the Bank of Korea