&gt; &gt; There just isn&#x27;t a realistic scenario in which USD has 0 value and Gold is useful.<p>&gt; This happens all. the. time.<p>No, it doesn&#x27;t. About the only times its even approximately happened during or after the 20th Century to a national currency of a nation that had been a major world power within the preceding century have been a few cases to the losing side of major wars (and in those cases, prewar businesses are quite likely to lose their market and ability to operate as a result of the war and its loss, independently of the collapse of the currency.) It absolutely doesn&#x27;t happen all the time.