"gold dust" -- fig. (not in OED) 1739; concrete 1704

[Joel S. Berson]

"gold dust" fig., not in OED.

Boston News-Letter; Date: From Thursday January 4, to Thursday
January 11, 1739; Issue: 1816; Page: [1], col. 1.

Advices, London, October 11, 1738.

Some of the High Germans seem now to have rubb'd the French Gold-Dust
out of their Eyes, & begin to see that the French are but lukewarm in
the Emperor's Interest in the pretended mediation with the Ottoman
Port; a wonderful Discovery this! that a Prince of Bourbon should be
a feint Friend to the House of Austria; When were the Galls ever true
to the Germans?

[There is an early concrete use of "gold dust" in the  Boston
News-Letter of 1704 May 29, p. 1. The OED's earliest two quotations
are 1703, 1705.]

Joel

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