Gold. Is it any use?

[Me_Again]

BP, you're missing the point. Since we don't know how smelly TSTHTF will be, how prolonged and whether things will go to a 'the Hunger Games' level afterwards or what, it is a fact that historically, no matter what is happening around you -so far- having a bag of the shiny yellow stuff gets you and your family things that others don't get. I will be as selfish as possible if it happens, it will be the devil takes the hindmost, I won't be the one standing at the barriers with my family watching the lucky few get on the last boat/train/plane out as Britain becomes the Islamic republic of Britainistan or the 28th region of of a fcuked up 'Europa' after a fixed referendum.
Yes it also fraught with danger to possess some -so would it be to have the only potato field that grew spuds in a world that is starving.
Yes everything will change -except basic human nature i.e. greed
Even if a really bad SHTF event had occurred, I have to say I'd be thinking about what will happen afterwards and if someone offered me a bag of gold for some food, and I had enough for my people, then I'd take it as a hedge against the future.
You mention the Black Death, I reckon you'd discover the yellow stuff was really handy for getting out of cities that had been sealed, or getting past blockades outside other settlements. They of course didn't realise that it wasn't person to person transmission and that strangers were not bringing death with them.