Yes, in a devaluation that is actual default, by decreeing the price that the government buys and sells gold for maybe $20,000 ounce.Depression would follow and if we still had an effective military the country would ride that out and emerge strong again.
The government?
If no one is willing to pay that price,to put it into a vault somewhere, for safe keeping.
Gold is worth what it is worth because that is what someone is willing to pay for it, not because some goverment declares it so.