This is why we haven't audited it. People are afraid of what could happen.

My guess is that nothing much happens at first, except for a bump in the gold price. The actual consequences will take years to play out, but it could lead to the end of the dollar.

There is also a chance that nothing at all happens. The gold isn't worth much compared to the debt. The U.S. government had vast amounts of land and a massive tax base to back the debt, so the gold is arguably unnecessary.

What I would like to see happen is that the people responsible go to jail. That seems more likely than a year ago, but still unlikely.