What use will your gold and silver be?>>>>>>>>
Makes a good boat anchor, but its the only currency that will work if at all.
You want into a castle? You have to bring something.
Yeah they let you into the castle, take your gold and silver and dump you into the moat.
No I don’t see it, if we are talking total societal breakdown gold and silver are going to prolong your life until the opportune moment someone has to relieve you of it.
If you want to survive you are going to need a skill, something that stronger, better-armed people can make use of and for which they will keep you alive, that indeed might include being a good shot and carrying your own weapon, or it might just be farming, cooking, medical, mechanical or whatever skills, but simply walking around with a bag of sovereigns hoping to buy your way out of trouble ain’t going to be much help.
Didn’t pieces of jewelry allow some of the Russian aristocrats to escape the bolcheviks?
Hardly.
Weapons, ammo, fresh water, coffee, all manner of dried and canned foodstuffs. For starters.
Your gold might get you into the "castle," whatever that might mean, but they will throw your body into the moat before they've counted it all.
“Makes a good boat anchor, but its the only currency that will work if at all.”
Liquor. Ammo. Potable water. Jerky. Medical supplies, including aspirin. Flashlights. Batteries.
All sorts of “currencies” that are far less expensive and useful to you prior to bartering.