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.

    • MDCCCLV@lemmy.ca
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      4 days ago

      It’s the crimping and the precision shape that’s hard to replicate, you need a press.

      • SippyCup@lemmy.ml
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        4 days ago

        And that would be doable, realistically. Though there’s a bit of plastic on the bottom that would be quite difficult to replicate.

        The point is they’re only useful as a currency. And really only to a society that can’t really make much. If society advances again to the point where a used bottlecap can be replicated, other systems will already have been established to make it less attractive.