In an emergency, one may need immediate access to assets one can liquidate if necessary. Piles of cash may become totally useless if inflation runs rampant in the future. The worth of yesterday’s dollar (or yen, or Euro) is no longer something one can continue to rely on, and it can change from day to day, let alone year to year. Many people save valuable coins, artworks, etc; but gold – and gold jewelry – is the asset that has been most prized for centuries.