The issue of what form (if any) currency will take in a post-TEOTWAWKI scenario is one that many of us speculate on; indeed, it is one that we all
need to plan appropriately for.
Gold and other precious metals are often touted as being a 'sure thing' (usually by dealers in such products!). Those who vaguely mis-remember the 'good old days' of the 'gold standard' prior to the move from a representative currency to a fiat currency (ie a currency that only has value because a government says it has value - an inherently self-referential and unstable scenario that surely won't survive a collapse in governmental central authority) claim we should return to it.
But - here's the problem. In a resource scarce future after a social collapse, gold's value becomes questionable. You can't eat or drink gold, and neither can you shelter with it, or use it as a useful type of tool. Gold is only one abstraction away from being a fiat currency too; it only has value because people agree on it as being a valuable thing.
After a social collapse, gold will lose its value, because it has no underlying intrinsic value.
Several posters on this thread have suggested that the new unit of currency will be cans of food or something similar.
Maybe, but I suggest there's a more central valuable/scarce/essential thing for the future that will become the basis for a future representational currency. Energy. Just about everything that is linked to future survival boils down to a need for energy, and whereas energy itself is currently abundant and affordable, it will be neither after a collapse.
So, fwiw, my guess is that we'll see a future currency/exchange unit based on energy rather than based on gold or food.
Lastly, in terms of what we should do ourselves right now in anticipation of such a future; sure, we should certainly stockpile up on food, both for our use and possibly for future exchanging purposes too. There are some other items we should also store, and in particular, some foodstuffs will be more valuable as exchange goods than others (ie small high value long life foodstuffs are better than bulky low value short lived items).
I've written several articles on the topic of future currency bases and what to invest in on my Code Green Prep site. If I may, can I recommend you look at
the last few articles in this category listing - you can tell from the titles which are relevant. Although written for a US audience, I think the underlying economic issues are completely relevant for the UK just as much as for the US.
Search
Calendar
Help
