Read in the past, that in times of holocaust, commodities such...

Read in the past, that in times of holocaust, commodities such food (grains etc), medicines and fuel etc will be valued above gold. This is commonsense as you cannot eat, cure disease etc with gold. The value placed on gold is based largely on people's perception of it and this may well change. For much of history, silver has been the preferred medium of exchange. Notwithstanding this, a large portion of the world's population still value gold (India, China)and therefore the demand for it is still robust. While the gold standard helped stabilse currencies and allowed people to have a measure of trust in currency, it only allowed economies to expand slowly. The problem with fiat currencies is that governments can print as much money as they please (simplistic) - some interesting arguments about this concerning the recent Liberty Dollar in the US. What has started to interest me is the obvious difference between gold prices and the underlying share price of gold companies. Can it be said that sp have risen in line with the gold price? I do not think so? Would it be better to actually take positions in physical gold over gold companies - I'm not sure. But I have taken a tenative step by starting a small gold sovereign coin collection - I justify this through a genuine interest in the history of coinage but at the same time trying to ensure my hobby adds to my family's overall financial position. Whether this actually works out this way - only time will tell. Buying bullion may be an option - I like the stuff, but good quality jewellry at the right price for the partner (I appreciate my wife more these days!) may also serve as a way of holding physical gold. As always, these are just my thoughts and must be considered inly interms of what you consider a balanced portfolio to be.