I feel in the aftermath, gold and silver will become the currency of choice IF and when a government gets situated and on the road to recovery..paper money being useful for TP maybe.. however as has been said, you can't eat it.. or the gems.. gemstone I feel would not have the perceived value gold or silver does. Mo mentioned salt, and I think he's spot on for a mineral that has a value. "worth his salt" comes to mind as it use to be the pay for I beleive it was the early Romans? Salt, while we know should be used in limited amounts, is needed for food preservation.. preserving hides to be tanned, and other necessary uses..

Correct. That's where the word "salary" comes from.

Old school Roman Army - To this day I think no other army has equalled them.

my own two cents is that gold and silver would have very little value in the Twilight timeframe, especially when compared to a pound or two of pepper, or a bag of seed corn...

Or better still, a pound or two of various spice and herb seeds still in date for planting--you, too, can become the Spice Lord of the Post-Apocalyptic world!