What are your barter items?

[Timelord]

Can't eat gold & it will get you killed faster than a rattlesnake can piss...
Best thing you can do with gold, is bury it in a hole & remember where so you can come back for it later if society starts to rebuild. thats why we archaeologists find it in holes nowadays - buried for safekeeping in times of crisis. You don't want to be carrying that around with you. Gold was used long before the Romans and is 99% of the time the basis of monetary systems of a society of some sort. BUT without some form of limited society it is pretty redundant. Historically the more common form of currency was silver. Hacked into small pieces & weighed out to trade. Again, this is only useful where a trading/barter system has developed. The Vikings used "Hack Silver". Personal wealth (of most periods) was worn on the body as jewellery, like arm rings & bracelets & necklaces, rings etc. When silver to barter was needed, one of the items was simply removed & small bits hacked off & weighed out with a tiny set of personal portable weighing scales. The silver item was then kept in a pouch for further use.
I would be really wary of carrying much precious metals initially.

Alcohol spirits is an excellent multicultural barter item and has many uses, medicinal, cooking, light, etc. You can always share a tot with a prospective trade candidate to sweeten the deal :-)