forget gold in a Mad Max scenario.

[Tartar Horde]

It is a perrenial debate whether precious metals will be of any value in a post collapse scenario. It is also a common thread that "The Dark Ages" proves the above premise, but this is very misleading. The below quote from a "Historian" shows a lack of understanding of the basic terminology, and the facts that were extant in Europe at the time, he has used flawed and vague argument and terminology to "prove" his position. Look at the first statement below

A number of readers have asked ‘doesn’t gold survive a Mad Max event?’

Historically, the answer to that is no. Dark Ages seem to be the total collapse of all economic activity on a collective basis.

First of all "The Dark Ages" is a term that has no real meaning in History as Historians refer to this period as the "Early Medieval". Saying the "Dark Ages seems to be the total collapse of all economic activity on a collective basis" is a convoluted way of pointing out an obvious fact that is used in a contrived way as proof. The Roman Empire controlled many mints, below is a list with their corresponding mint marks. Is it not obvious that these mints would cease production on the collapse of the Western Empire, ceasing economic activity, "what is his point"?
http://finds.org.uk/romancoins/articles/...tury-mints

The next statement just emphasises the same flawed argument.

"This is why there are huge gaps in the monetary history in Greece, Western Europe after the fall of Rome"

So because the Western Roman Empire collapsed there were huge gaps in monetary History, of course there is because the mints stopped working!!. The author conveniently forgets The Eastern Roman Empire known as Byzantium that existed up to 1453 and was immensly rich. The Vacuum left by the Fall of the Western Empire was taken up by Byzantium, which continued to mint Gold and Silver coins which found their way through trade to Scandinavia, Russia, Britain and all other European countries. It was only the Western Roman economy that collapsed, and it was rapidly replaced by that of Byzantium, so to talk of an economic wasteland is wrong and has no basis in fact. The "Dark Ages" were never dark at all, it was a dynamic period of trade, movement of peoples and changing attitudes. At no time did Gold or Silver become "useless", as trade continued across borders and Gold and Silver were the universal coinage of the known world. To say becuse of the Roman collapse money became worthless is plainly wrong and can be borne out by historical fact. Many Preppers poo poo the idea of the actual worth of PM's and this is a valid viewpoint for them, I do not take that view though as I only have to look at the fact that for 99+% of recorded human history the only two things people have relied on as a form of portable wealth is Gold and Silver, and that will not change.