As uncertainty about the stability of the global economy spreads and investors look for ways to diversify their assets, precious metals companies are looking for ways to cater to those who are seeking a safe haven in assets like gold and silver.

Though often described as “the money of last resort,” one gripe from potential investors about owning gold is that it is costly, currently running around $1700 an ounce, and not feasible as an emergency exchange mechanism in the event of financial and economic catastrophe that may disrupt food supplies and the normal flow of commerce. The problem with one ounce gold coins, or even 1/10th of an ounce fractional coins, is that if you needed to buy a few loaves of bread, medicine, clothing or supplies in an emergency it would be difficult to do so with a gold coin as opposed to something like silver, which can be more easily traded for smaller value goods.

Enter the “Combibar” Gold Card – designed for “a scary new world.”

Introduced by Swiss precious metals firm Valcambi, the 50 gram (~ 1.6 Troy Ounces) card is fabricated with 99.9% fine gold and can easily be broken into 1 gram pieces and used as payment during an emergency. Each gram is worth approximately the same as an ounce of silver – about $34 – making it an almost perfect emergency barter item.

For the preparedness minded, it’s a simple solution and one that fits right in your wallet, so you can always have “real money” with you wherever you go.

According to Valcambi the Combibar divisible gold card should be available in the U.S. in late 2013.

In the meantime, though some key officials at our central banks suggest gold is not real money, we strongly recommend diversifying assets into physical commodities that may include food, arable land, gold and silver, and learning new skills that can be traded for essential items should the system as we know it come crashing down.

What’s in your wallet?