Post Apocalyptic Currency

[mrhappyface]

Well the apocalypse has come and gone and the value of paper money has gone down from the most powerful force in the universe to toilet paper. Now society needs currency in some form, since no one wants to contemplate how many bananas a suit of power armor is worth or how many lollipops a nuke launcher costs. So, what would be ideal in this post apocalyptic wasteland?

 

[Misterian]

coined money, maybe?

 

[GreyWolf257]

Bullets, food, water, weapons, and other general supplies. I don't think a monetary economy would work very well in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

 

[Jedoro]

There wouldn't really be a currency system, it would just be a matter of trading where both parties agree the deal is fair. That, or currencies would be exclusive to the region or town.

 

[Guinasso]

well in metro 2033 the curency is Bullets that were made before the blast and dont suck so I think that mite work

 

[Killdebeest]

Something simple and common, but not too useful. I hate to say that bottle caps make the most sense but they do.

 

[Composer]

bullets duh!

 

[JRCB]

Beavers. Just because. Canada will become rich!

 

[SimuLord]

Something simple and common, but not too useful. I hate to say that bottle caps make the most sense but they do.

The rationale behind the use of Nuka-Cola caps in Fallout 1 and 3 is that they couldn't be easily counterfeited; the technology to make a ridged piece of metal like that dropped out of existence after the war. In Fallout 1, the merchants of the Hub back the value of the caps; in Fallout 3, it's never explicitly stated but it is strongly implied that caps are backed by the Canterbury Commons merchant cabal.

 

[Toar]

I believe cigaretts would be the best currency. I don't touch them personally, but the people that do would gladdly sell their right nut for a cigaret the moment that the companies stoped existing/manufacturing the nicotine delights.

That or colorful rocks. You know, diamonds and saphires, fake or otherwise.

 

[EntropicBliss]

GreyWolf is on the right idea.

Basically, most disaster situations have this kind of priority:

Weapons > Necessities (food, water, shelter) > Utilities (Gas, Electricity, Wood, Oil) > Transportation > Luxuries (Everything else)

As soon as you reestablish civilization, it'll basically follow a linear path of bartering, to currency with real value, to currency with symbolic but insured value, to credit.

So the best currency is a gun with bullets that you can trade for things you need, or shoot people to take it from them.

 

[zombiejoe]

Um...I guess it's more like
1. "I'll trade you 10 years of slavery for your protection"
2. "I will trade you my body for your food
3. *Bullet through the head*

 

[atalanta]

Bullets, food, water, weapons, and other general supplies. I don't think a monetary economy would work very well in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

It wouldn't. Money doesn't really have an inherent value; we'd be back to a barter economy.

e: or, you know, what entropicbliss just said.

 

[spike0918]

Do I win?
I mean I really trust that graph with no data points that someone made in MS Paint.

 

[quiet_samurai]

Supplies, or labor.... and sexual favors. Or maybe gold and silver will resurface.

 

[UltraParanoia]

Murder will get me all I need.

 

[ethaninja]

Uh, why not use paper money. All it is is bartering. Trading one thing for another. I'm sure peices of paper, like smokes, can be used to purchase things after the Apocolyse (assuming life still exists) If all else fails, monopoly!!!

 

[Konfusion88]

I like the idea of Caps in fallout but useful metals would probably have great value.

 

[DkLnBr]

Bullets, food, water, weapons, and other general supplies. I don't think a monetary economy would work very well in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

this seems like what it would be. Trade what you both need, and cut out the middle man (money). Bullets for Gas, Food for water, etc.