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First, precious metals are purchased as an insurance against loosing other parts of your portfolio. Gold is not an investment although some invest in gold, they buy and sell almost every day.
Gold is hard to trade except in small amounts. Gold has never not had value. It is likely to always have value. Cash some day may not have value. Stocks may some day not have value. CD’s may easily some day have little or no value but, even though the value of gold fluctuates it will always have value.
I personally like junk silver better than gold. I store some gold because you can get a lot of value in a small package, but, if you ever have to “spend” your precious metals, old dimes and quarters will be easy to “barter” with. They may not be much better than ammo but much more portable. In a bug out situation portability is essential.
I would add that even those around 50 can recall the days when you would actually buy and sell stuff with silver.
I think a recognizable quarter that is made of 90% would be of value because MOST people recognize the value.
I do not think you should have a safe full of the stuff, but a couple of hundred dollars in 90% silver would be as valuable in every day barter as ammo would be.
You should have both, in my opinion.