Would love some feedback and ideas for a post apocalyptic setting

[Lord of Shadows]

And awayyyy we go....

The Economics of Project Six

The collapse of society caused the end of any advanced system of currency. Paper money quickly became worthless, and credit cards soon followed as the computers that controlled them ceased to function. Great fortunes were lost in the collapse, and many who were once rich suddenly found themselves scavenging for food like common citizens. Still, where society did survive, it needed some way to exchange goods and services, and many ways of doing business do exist. Some still use currency of various types, while others are based strictly on bartering.

Bartering

Simple and usually straightforward, depending on the honesty of the parties involved, bartering is perhaps the oldest form of exchange. Bartering can use virtually any goods or services that the parties involved are willing to use. One common bartering item out in The Wastes is water purification tablets, although sometimes these are no more than a silver token that is dropped into a bottle of water. These perform the same basic function as a tablet, but not quite as complete. Gems are also sometimes used, as are other valuable items, although regardless of what is used there must be some agreement on their value.

Chips

Created as a form of highly portable rations during the wars that accompanied the apocalypse, Chips are a form of highly compact vegetable and protein matter. When boiled in water they will dissolve, creating a highly nutritious, if somewhat tasteless, broth.

Chips never go bad, and out on The Wastes anybody with a Chip, some water, and a fire can have enough food to keep them going for another day. This intrinsic value, plus their low-weight, makes them an ideal currency, especially in more remote areas. In the early days of the apocalypse Chips were mainly used as food, but nowadays they're far more frequently used for bartering. As the Scavengers say, "It's better to be a broke man drinking broth than a rich man starving in The Wastes."

Coins

One of the forms of exchange that survives from the Old World is coins minted of various rare metals. Coins have an intrinsic value based on the metal from which they are minted, and so usually any face value is meaningless. Common coin metals include gold, silver, copper and the somewhat rarer platinum. Their value derives primarily from their weight and purity, which can be tested by a Metallurgist or by a Scanner. Even so, they are frequently traded as-is, unless the exchange is large or the source of the coins is suspect.

Metal Bars

Bars cast from various metals are sometimes used for large purchases or to hoard larger amounts of the metal. Their value is based on their weight and purity, something which can be determined by a Metallurgist or by a Scanner that tests the metal electronically. Since these transactions are large, much greater care is usually taken to insure the integrity of the bars, and thereby also the integrity of the possessor.


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