If the worst happens and our western governments reduce freedoms...

If the worst happens and our western governments reduce freedoms and make you need to take vaccines (or whatever else) to be able to have a bank account, or use the internet, or drive on the roads, etc, then the people will be going back to physical items for trade in their parallel economies. Having no gold or silver and being one of the "unwanted" of society will be a death sentence. So everyone should be telling those they care about to at least get something to help them through these potential hard times.

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In the event of such a catastrophe the very last thing you're going to need is a 'stack' of silver bars.