the gold standard
noun [ S ]
ukus ECONOMICS, FINANCE
the situation in which a currency’s value is based on the price of gold:
He would like to return the dollar to the gold standard.
something that is very good and is used for measuring how good other similar things are:
the gold standard for sth The Nissan plant in Sunderland is the gold standard for car production.
the gold standard of sth The case is still held up as the gold standard of crisis communications.