Not to completely plate paper with gold, but enough to give it a hue. In this question, How to best to electroplate paper money? the comments said it could not be done. Why?
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1$\begingroup$ What about explanations you got wasn't clear? $\endgroup$– MithoronCommented Sep 4 at 16:56
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1$\begingroup$ Why not to keep it in the original question? This will be with high probability closed as a duplicate. $\endgroup$– PoutnikCommented Sep 4 at 17:06
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1$\begingroup$ Try to perform electrolysis using "paper electrodes". This may answer your question. $\endgroup$– PoutnikCommented Sep 4 at 18:12
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2$\begingroup$ Questions should not be modified in such an extent it invalidates existing answers, answering a very different question. It shows disrespect to the effort of answering users. $\endgroup$– PoutnikCommented Sep 4 at 19:18
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3$\begingroup$ The catchy is. "but not so much it could not be spent yet have a golden luster." If you modify currency, it might make an ornament, but any change might invalidate it. Also, very thin layers of gold are green, not golden colored. $\endgroup$– DrMoishe PippikCommented Sep 4 at 21:38
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Electroplate a paper sheet means dipping a conducting sheet in a solution containing a metallic salt (maybe a gold salt), then dipping in the same solution a metallic electrode (not reacting with the gold solution). Then bind the conductive sheet to a negative potential (maybe $1 - 4$ V), and the other electrode to a corresponding positive potential. Try to use the smallest current density as possible. The metallic ion from the solution will be discharged at the cathode and will cover the paper. The conductive sheet is a cathode and the other electrode is the anode. The problem is the conductive sheet, because usual paper is not conducting electricity. With usual paper no electrolysis and no electroplating will happen. It is necessary to cover the paper sheet with a conductive material before conducting the electrolysis. You can for example cover the whole sheet with charcoal from a black pencil. This is not easy to do it perfectly : it takes time, and the sheet looks irregularily black after this treatment before electrolysis. Furthermore, it is not easy to find a valid metal as the anode, as most metals react chemically with gold solutions. The only metal I know for this anode is platinum. It is expensive.
