But what good will the silver and gold do if you’re camped on some island living off crabs and fish? If you can stick it in your pocket and keep going, it could come in handy, but it could just weigh you down. As you say, if you’re going to barter with it, you’d better be armed.
Gold can take you to the bottom as you try to swim, or make you a target for those who know you have it.