4 ms·

>gold What good is gold when money is worthless? What intrinsic value does gold have in a society that isn’t manufacturing electronics? It depends on the exac

>gold What good is gold when money is worthless? What intrinsic value does gold have in a society that isn’t manufacturing electronics? It depends on the exact circumstances if crypto, fiat currencies, gold, bullets, or potable water will be the most valuable.

GuB-42 4y ago
Gold has always been valuable in all civilizations I am aware of. It is rare, compact, easy to work with, hard to counterfeit due to its density, resistant to chemicals and doesn't degrade over time. And though it is subjective, most people find it beautiful. If you want to make a form of currency, gold is the perfect candidate. Fiat currency is worthless when the government that backs it fails. Cryptocurrencies are unusable without some global network (i.e. the internet). Potable water and bullets may be super valuable, but they don't make for good currency, and of course, any self respecting bunkers will have a lot of these too. Many things can be valuable in a post apocalyptic world. But gold is a pretty good candidate. Not only that but it is also a rather good investment now, apocalypse or not.
- cyberge99 4y ago
  A cachet of nudie magazines would presumably become quite valuable in lieu of a global network. Gotta have those in the bunker, strictly for barter. ;)
- tsimionescu 4y ago
  Gold has only ever had value in a trading network. All the properties you describe are important for long-distance long-term trade between parties who don't particularly trust each other. If the entire society you interact with is concentrated in a luxury bunker, gold is much worse than Monopoly money as a means of exchange. Not that you would actually need a means of exchange in a society where nothing is being produced, mind you. Rationing would be the key, and rationing is not trade.

4 ms·

>gold What good is gold when money is worthless? What intrinsic value does gold have in a society that isn’t manufacturing electronics? It depends on the exac

by seanp2k2 4y ago

GuB-42 4y ago
Gold has always been valuable in all civilizations I am aware of. It is rare, compact, easy to work with, hard to counterfeit due to its density, resistant to chemicals and doesn't degrade over time. And though it is subjective, most people find it beautiful. If you want to make a form of currency, gold is the perfect candidate. Fiat currency is worthless when the government that backs it fails. Cryptocurrencies are unusable without some global network (i.e. the internet). Potable water and bullets may be super valuable, but they don't make for good currency, and of course, any self respecting bunkers will have a lot of these too. Many things can be valuable in a post apocalyptic world. But gold is a pretty good candidate. Not only that but it is also a rather good investment now, apocalypse or not.
- cyberge99 4y ago
  A cachet of nudie magazines would presumably become quite valuable in lieu of a global network. Gotta have those in the bunker, strictly for barter. ;)
- tsimionescu 4y ago
  Gold has only ever had value in a trading network. All the properties you describe are important for long-distance long-term trade between parties who don't particularly trust each other. If the entire society you interact with is concentrated in a luxury bunker, gold is much worse than Monopoly money as a means of exchange. Not that you would actually need a means of exchange in a society where nothing is being produced, mind you. Rationing would be the key, and rationing is not trade.