Gold became an afterthought -- an inflation hedge, a crisis trade, insurance against events sophisticated investors assumed would never arrive. The system ran on confidence, and confidence was abundant. Central banks have been quietly adding gold reserves for years. Although gold-backed money deserves serious consideration -- not as nostalgia, but as a return to the classical gold standard -- it remains highly improbable. Gold has occupied that position before -- not because governments demanded it, but because markets eventually preferred it.