I advise you not to hoard coins to gloat over.

Let us take instead a case of avarice.

I have seen a miser counting over his gold; have seen the rapacious eyes of the spirits, which enjoyed the gold through him.

For gold has a peculiar influence as a metal, apart from its purchasing power or the associations attached to it. 

Certain spirits love gold—even as the miser loves it—and with the same acquisitive, astringent passion.

As it is one of the heaviest of metals, so its power is a condensed and condensing power.

I do not mean by this that you should beware of gold. 

Get all you can use, for it is useful, but do not gloat over it. 

One does not attract the avaricious spirits merely by owning the symbols of wealth—

Houses and lands and stocks and bonds or even a moderate amount of coin, but I advise you not to hoard coins to gloat over.

I advise you not to hoard coins to gloat over.