x3...I have never been able to figure out, nor have I ever read or heard of any viable reason to hoard so called precious metals. At least not any that made any real sense.

Let's for the moment assume that the absolute worst case scenario occurs, a complete and total economic meltdown. What is someone going to do with gold, silver or platinum coins or bullion? What practical purpose does it serve in a "survival" situation?

It's too heavy to transport in any sort of quantity. You'll waste more fuel/calories moving it around.

You can't make it into anything else without some fairly serious smelting and/or molding equipment, you can't eat it or drink it, unless you're killing werewolves it makes lousy bullets so what are you gonna do with it and who in their right mind would give you anything of actual value, ie, a gun, water, food, etc. for it in trade? I know that if I were in a position to be trading in a post apocalyptic world I'd laugh at anyone offering me some heavy, shiny metal in exchange for something actually usable.

And yes I understand that we use metal coins for monetary exchanges now but that's a different topic all together.

I would love to hear a rational and practical reason to hoard metal, I'd really to hear why James Rawles advocates saving nickels but no one's ever been able to explain that either, including Mr. Rawles himself...