While formal currency might be obsolete, certain items may emerge as unofficial currencies. For example:
- Silver and Gold: Precious metals often remain valuable, even in a collapsed economy, because they have been historically seen as stores of value.
- Fuel could become a currency, especially if traditional power grids are down and people need energy to run their shelters, cook food, or power medical equipment.
- Food and Water could take on the role of currency, especially in arid, food-scarce environments.
- Alcohol or Tobacco are sometimes used in fiction as barterable commodities, as they can serve as both trade goods and forms of comfort in a harsh world.
In some instances, new, makeshift currencies could develop based on what’s widely available. Empty containers, clean drinking water, or bullets might be traded as currency in certain regions, depending on local needs.
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