Dude...I'm not saying gold or silver is entirely useless, but if there's an EMP from, say, a nuclear airburst there's going to be more useful items than precious metals--assuming you're alive to use them.

And if we're talking about a relatively simple case of the internet crapping out, I think cash would be a lot more useful.  If you're thinking of a case where fiat would be worthless, then I'd say again there are more useful things.  Land, food, water, guns and those kind of things are going to be your best friends.  In a real disaster, I highly doubt people are going to be resorting to precious metals bartering.  I don't care what the goldbugs say.  That's all hype, trying to get you to buy metals.