I know people out there who have invested a lot in gold under the belief that in the event of like complete societal collapse or hyperinflation, they could use it for purchasing.
I have the hunch it’s a scam, but I haven’t learned enough monetary theory, business, or economics to understand why.
It can be used for barter, gold had enough of a reputation that you can get anyone to trade you for it if they have an excess of something.