Ironically, I think some of the Asian countries that we are running big trade deficits are going to get burned the most from the declining Dollar. Japan and Red China have been making huge investment in US Treasury securities to keep the Dollar overvalued and thus their exports to US relatively cheap. These countries are essentially defending the Dollar for us while we don't lift a hand.
Japan is in slightly better shape; they tend to buy more equities thus higher returns to offset any exchange rate losses. Plus they have a floating exchange rate. China has much less flexibility since they have to maintain the $-Yuan peg.
In my area, some dealers have the lowest margin over bullion price for the Kruggerands, yes. you pretty much buy and sell at very near the bullion price.
Some of the chinese gold bullion are now premium prices, since they change the design/panda pictures each year. Gold has held its value over the years while lots of paper money went worthless. It was better to hold gold instead of german marks, russian czar rubbles, or confederate money. Gold dollars are sounder than bush dollars.
And what would happen if, at some point, others lost interest in propping up the value of the dollar? Perhaps after even more of our industrial base has been sent abroad? The resulting price shocks would probably make the price shocks during the oil embargo era seem tame.