Banks: A possible gold source?

[Legbreaker]

So why are precious metals so precious in the first place? Gold and silver for instance are too soft to make tools with (although in the absence of a supply of lead could make decent bullets).
Probably wouldn't be until a few years on, when people again start to have a little time for leisure activities and various artisans can be supported as crop yields increase before jewellery becomes sought after again (beyond say the odd wedding ring and the like). Until then, it's likely there's more than enough supply just laying about in somewhat less secure jewellers stores, tucked away in sock drawers, and on dead bodies (some perhaps still warm...)

Metals such as good steel and copper will have a much greater value to those "lucky" enough to have survived the war.

[kalos72]

Besides the symbolism, anything is worth what people will pay for it.

If I am the bossman in BumScrew Texas and I control the food, if I say a days food is worth 10g gold, then all of a sudden gold is worth something.

Same as if I say 10 Coke bottle caps are required for a days food.

Looking forward, gold/silver/oil backed currency is probably on someones list of things to do. Fiat currency is worthless, literally.

I do suppose, talking this out, if you control the food/oil you can have the locals find all the gold there is just by requiring it to buy food.

[Legbreaker]

Sure, but then what do you do with that gold once you've got it? A great big pile of shiny yellow stuff is all well and good, but even the worst despot has to pay somebody something some of the time. Will they accept gold or will they want more of that food you're giving the plebs in return for the gold you're collecting?
Only the supremely rich (in post apocalyptic terms) can afford to collect luxuries like gold and gems.

[Blink_Dog]

Silver is useful in medicine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_uses_of_silver

Gold is a good conductor. But mainly it is the rarity of gold that makes it valuable. Think of it as a long term investment, when society gets back to some level of normalcy gold, silver would be used to establish the value of new currency. Short term it would be lower value.

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Blink_Dog

Silver is useful in medicine.

Very questionable value there, and only in the minutest amounts that are economically insignificant.

[kalos72]

Silver from a medical perspective is valuable, maybe in small amounts but everyone will need some at least. And it works...trust me.

But gold and viler have been at the center of currency since the beginning of time. If I land in Pakistan with 100lb's of gold, I will be able to buy whatever I need...maybe the value has changed but it would still be seen as an asset worth trading for.

In America, there is a large movement to get your savings into gold and silver since the fiat currency can be devalued to nothing and all those people with millions in stocks will come out broke versus the guy who put away a couple bucks a week in gold or junk silver coins will still have savings to barter with.