I would also recommend silver coins (preferably U.S. smaller denominations).

If you buy silver in any other form, I suggest a trial before you go all in - buy an item, and then take it to jewelers and coin stores to see how much they will offer to buy. You will be amazed at how little they will offer. If you have silver coins, especially U.S. silver, you will find that there is a slight spread, but nowhere near the 50% or more gap for silver jewelry, or other silver items. Silver bars are also bought back at a substantial discount, due to concerns about authenticity and resale potential (who wants a Merry Christmas 2005 silver bar in 2012?).