and yet, a declaration that gold is worth $32/oz (which existed for a few decades) has essentially the same inflationary result - if the fractional reserve requirements for gold and silver (when either backed the dollar) changed, based on how much money the gov't wanted in circulation.
You're correct, to a point. If banks or governments issue certificates that are actually not backed by gold, but only "claiming" to be backed by gold, then the inflation can still be very pervasive. However, even in this situation, banks can't print completely at whim, else they risk bank runs (until the FDIC removed this check). Without any backing, the printing never need end.