[User23]

Good luck transacting in gold, because it can't be done efficiently due to assaying costs. You can transact in metal bars stamped by Credit Suisse or another bank, or coins minted by some sovereign or other trusted authority, but nobody in their right mind is going to accept plain gold for any transaction. Without the imprimatur of some authority, it's simply not trustworthy.

[astrodust]

When Argentina's economy collapsed people would frequently transact in gold. It wasn't bars, but just junk gold, something that a simple chemical test could prove was gold if necessary.