Some places will not take anything bigger than a fifty. It is not so much that they are afraid of counterfeits. Counterfeit bills are readily detectable by the pens used these days or just a close look by someone with 5 minutes of training.

The real reason is that some retailers (usually the smaller ones) keep a very minimal amount of change on hand as an anti-crime technique.

Personally, I think you would be better off with US twenties and hundreds as they are almost a universal currency, and/or local currency.

A tenth ounce gold coin is worth less than $150. I don't know what you think that is going to buy you in some foreign country in the middle of nowhere, assuming the tribesman involved even recognizes it as something valuable. I doubt desert tribesmen have much experience with modern US gold bullion coins.

Might surprise you,many countries/citizens are gold bugs for sure.

I've always thought stashing away gold as a bartering tool was silly. What is gold good for? It makes a good electrical conductor, so might be of some use if you were trying to barter with an electronics manufacturer (who probably wouldn't have anything you wanted to barter FOR anyway). But what is the day-to-day use for gold? Is there ANY such use? It's soft, heavy, and not well suited for anything but bling-bling IMHO. Finding somebody to barter with who had what you wanted, and wanted gold in return for it, seems like a real stretch to me. Is there anything that gold can do, that nothing else can, that is of any urgent or survival nature?

As a "universal currency" it might be OK if times are normal. But you'd have to find somebody with a scale to weigh it, a way to determine its purity, and some method to determine the current value per unit weight (which I believe is in the toilet right now). I think the chocolate and cigarettes the troops used to use would be better suited for the bartering task.

I have read instances in history where gold proved useful. These tend to occur during wartimes, when the currency system has collapsed. You need to get on the last boat/train out of town before the hostile army arrives and war breaks out? You just might need to bribe someone, since inflation has made paper money worthless, you need to offer something else. Under such circumstances, you won't have time to weigh it and check purity, etc. It's simple: you just have to convince the person in position to help you that you're giving him everything you've got.

You'd probably know if you're going to be in such a situation. Fortunately, most of us have no use of gold in our PSK.

True Unimogbert, but that would be out of my hands. And I'm getting too old to run a rescue mission in a war zone. I'm not as tough as Chuck Norris. Who, btw, is one of the nicest people you'll evwer meet.

absolutely montanero. Thanks. Hit me up with a private message with any ideas and advice you have.

Great info Les! and great pic! Thanks!

Hi Am-Fear. You know I had thought of that idea of a card for my own international psk. But I had thought of opening a checking account, getting a VISA debit card and every month just add the rent from one rental and let it build up. But cash and negotiables are always nice to have.

Hey Ilbob. Paper money would be too bulky. And since I have no idea where they might deploy her I wouldn't be able to put in local currency. But you pose valid points. Thanks.

That's why the hundred dollar bill, teacher. But I don't want her using it to party with.