Historically Gold and Silver have been universally accepted currencies. Gold is the no1 but its not good for smaller transactions due to its value. People also see silver as a good inflation hedge like gold. As its cheaper than gold its easier for many people to buy. I own physical silver and Gold. I also see more upside potential for silver than gold ie I think silver will outperform gold in the next few years. The reasons for this are 1: Gold is getting pricey for an average person to buy (1oz kruger now +-R10k) to buy silver (Silver Eagles, old R1 coins, small bars) are cheaper. 2: Most of the gold ever mined is lying around in vaults so scarcity isnt a huge problem. Most of the silver ever mind ISNT around as it has industrial uses as well as "percieved store of value" 3: Silver is maily mined as a byproduct from other metals. As lots of copper zinc and tin mines are being mothballed above ground stockpiles are likely to fall leading to shortages. By the time the mines reopen we may have had a large price spike. Thats my take, perhaps other people have more.