I am old. I remember having all silver coins and you could trade you dollar bill at the bank for a silver dollar. The bill said silver certificate where it now says federal reserve note. Now you can get a silver dollar for 20 bucks if you can find one.
For over a hundred years, excluding around the Civil War, a ounce of gold, or a one once gold coin, was 20 dollars. Maybe a 150 years. Right up to the Federal Reserve. Since then, it takes 1,500 or more dollars for a ounce of gold. The gold is the same, it is the dollars that have become worthless