I’d be careful about over-romanticizing Gold. In many ways it’s actually the ultimate so-called “fiat” currency. It has no intrinsic value. You can’t eat it or even really make anything useful out of it. It’s only value is that it’s a pretty metal that is easy to shape and it doesn’t rust... so it’s great to make coins out of. Beyond jewelry and some industrial applications it isn’t really very useful for anything else.
But beyond that its only worth what somebody is willing to give you for it... because they ~believe~ that somebody else down the road will also trade something for it. That, in a nutshell, is what “fiat” currency means. It’s a medium of exchange based on belief that its value is transferable to someone else.
Now, don’t get me wrong... it works really ~well~ as a currency. But it doesn’t survive a “total” collapse any more than paper money or a box full of quarters. In a total collapse, trade tends to revert to barter. Something useful, traded for something useful. A side of beef for a crate of ammunition. A bottle of whiskey for some hours labor... whatever.
Gold has had value since the earliest recorded histories. But you’re right, you cannot eat gold.
All I have is 5,000 years of history to go on, which is why I figure some people will still want the stuff. The best survival strategy is to diversify and not put all of your eggs in one basket.