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Encyclopedia > United States Bullion Depository

Coordinates: 37.882983° N 85.965099° W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...


The United States Bullion Depository, commonly called Fort Knox, is a fortified vault building located near Fort Knox, Kentucky which is used to store a large portion of United States official gold reserves, as well as from time to time, other precious items belonging to, or entrusted to, the United States of America. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Fort Knox is a census-designated place on the border of Hardin and Meade Counties in Kentucky that includes the housing for the Fort Knox Army base and the Fort Knox Bullion Depository. ... // Gold ingots, like these from the Bank of Sweden, form the base of many monetary systems Gold reserves (or gold holdings) are held by central banks as a store of value. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized...


The United States Bullion Depository holds about 4,603 tons (4,176 metric tonnes) of gold bullion (147.3 million ounces[1]). It is second in the United States only to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's underground vault in Manhattan, which holds about 5,000 metric tons of gold in trust for many foreign nations, central banks and official international organizations. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is the most important of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ...

The U.S. Bullion Depository at Ft. Knox.

Contents

Image File history File linksMetadata FortKnoxGoldVault2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata FortKnoxGoldVault2. ...

History

Before the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, gold coins had circulated freely in the United States as legal money, and gold bullion was owned by banks and other private entities. In early 1933, as part of the New Deal, the U.S. Congress enacted a package of laws which removed gold from circulation as money, and which made private ownership of gold in the U.S. (except for coins in collections or jewelry such as wedding rings) illegal. All gold in circulation was seized by the government in exchange for dollars at the fixed rate of $20.67 per ounce. Owners of gold bullion in the U.S. were also required to trade it for other forms of money. All of this left the government of the United States with a large amount of gold metal, and no place to store it. FDR redirects here. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... This article is about the policy program of US President Franklin D Roosevelt. ... Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... A precious metal is a rare metallic element of high, durable economic value. ...

Seal of the U.S. Mint

In 1936, the U.S. Treasury Department began construction of the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on land transferred from the military. The Gold Vault was completed in December 1936 at a cost of $560,000, or about $7.5 million in 2007 dollars. The site is located on what is now Bullion Boulevard at the intersection of Gold Vault Road. The U.S. Treasury building today. ... This article is about United States Army post. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... USD redirects here. ...


The first gold shipments were made from January to July 1937. The majority of the United States' gold reserves were gradually shipped to the site, including old bullion and more newly made bars made from melted gold coins. Some intact coins were stored, as well. The transfer needed 500 rail cars and was sent by registered mail, protected by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Gold ingots, like these from the Bank of Sweden, form the base of many monetary systems Gold reserves (or gold holdings) are held by central banks as a store of value. ... railroads redirects here. ... The United States Postal Inspection Service (or USPIS) is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. ...


During World War II, the repository held the original U.S. Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. It also held the reserves of several European countries and several key documents from Western history; for example, it held the Crown of St. Stephen, part of the Hungarian crown jewels given to American soldiers to prevent them from falling into Soviet hands. The repository also held one of four known copies (exemplifications) of the Magna Carta, which had been sent for display at the 1939 New York World Fair, and when war broke out, was kept in America for the duration. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Declaration of Independence was an act of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on July 4, 1776, which declared that the Thirteen Colonies in North America were Free and Independent States and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The United States Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ... The aim of this page is to act as a comparison between European countries in many different aspects, such as population, GDP, life expectancy, etc. ... The Holy Crown of Hungary, also known as the Crown of St. ... CCCP redirects here. ... This article is about the English charter issued in 1215. ... Trylon, Perisphere and Helicline photo by Sam Gottscho The 1939-40 New York Worlds Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair), was one of the largest worlds fairs of all time. ...


Construction and security

Below the fortress-like structure lies the gold vault, which is lined with granite walls and is protected by a blast-proof door that weighs 22 tons. No single person is entrusted with the combination to the vault. Various members of the Depository staff must dial separate combinations known only by them. Beyond the main vault door, smaller internal "cells" provide further protection. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see granite (disambiguation). ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


The facility is ringed with several fences and is under armed guard by officers of the United States Mint Police. The Depository premises are within the site of Fort Knox, a United States Army post, allowing the Army to provide additional protection. The Depository is protected by numerous layers of physical security, alarms, video cameras, armed guards, and the Army units based at Fort Knox, including Apache helicopter gunships of 4/229 Aviation based at Godman Army Airfield, the 16th Cavalry Regiment, training battalions of the United States Army Armor School, and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division as it returns from Iraq in the summer of 2008, totaling over 30,000 soldiers, with associated tanks, armored personnel carriers, attack helicopters, and artillery. The United States Mint Police is the law enforcement agency responsible for the protection of the United States Treasury and the United States Mint. ... This article is about United States Army post. ... The United States Army is the largest, and by some standards oldest, established branch of the armed forces of the United States and is one of seven uniformed services. ... A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by and/or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. ... The AH-64 Apache is the United States Armys principal attack helicopter, and is the successor to the AH-1 Cobra. ... Godman Army Airfield is a military airport located one mile west of the central business district of Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA and has four runways. ... The United States Army Armor School is a training school located at Ft. ... East German BRDMs on parade during celebrations of the 40th anniversary of East Germany in 1989 Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are light armoured fighting vehicles for the transport of infantry. ... A Russian Mil Mi-24 attack helicopter. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ...


Gold and coin holdings

Gold holdings peaked during World War II at 649.6 million troy ounces (20,205 metric tons). Current holdings are around 147.3 million ounces[1] (4,570 t) in around 368,000 standard 400 troy ounce (12.4 kg or 27.4 lb avoirdupois) gold bars. At April 2008 rates of $913 an ounce it is worth roughly $134 billion, while the World War II total of 649.6 million troy ounces would be worth approximately $593 billion.[2] Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ... A tonne (also called metric ton) is a non-SI unit of mass, accepted for use with SI, defined as: 1 tonne = 103 kg (= 106 g). ... Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the U.S. city, see Gold Bar, Washington. ... Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ...


The depository also holds monetary gold coins. It also holds several specimens of Sacagawea Dollar coins made out of 22kt (91.6% pure) gold from blanks that are used to strike the $25 half-ounce American Gold Eagle bullion pieces made for an unknown project. The 1933 Double Eagle was also a temporary resident after transfer from 7 WTC in July 2001, until its sale in July 2002 for $7.59 million. Sometime in 2004, 10 stolen 1933 Double Eagle examples recovered from the heirs of Israel Switt were transported to Fort Knox for safekeeping. Gold coins are one of the oldest forms of money. ... The Sacagawea dollar, along with the Presidential Dollar series, is one of the two current United States dollar coins. ... The carat (abbreviation ct or Kt) is a measure of the purity of gold alloys. ... The American Gold Eagle is the official bullion gold coin of the United States. ... A precious metal is a rare metallic element of high, durable economic value. ... The 1933 Double Eagle The 1933 double eagle (United States 20-dollar gold coin) currently holds the record for highest price brought at auction for a single U.S. coin. ... 7 World Trade Center is a building in New York City located across from the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. ...


Not all the gold bars held in the depository are of exactly the same composition. The mint gold bars are nearly pure gold. Bars made from melted gold coins, however, called "coin bars," are the same composition as the original coins. Unlike many .999 fine gold bullion coins minted in modern times for holding-purposes today, the coin alloy for pre-1932 U.S. coins, which were intended for circulation, was a much tougher and wear-resistant 22 carat alloy derived historically from crown gold (this alloy is actually still used by law in modern U.S. American Gold Eagle bullion coins). The 22-carat coin bars are therefore only 22/24 = .917 fine, or 92% gold. A bullion coin is a coin struck from precious metal and kept as a store of value or an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce. ... Crown gold is a 22 kt (carat) gold alloy, introduced in England for gold coin manufacture in 1526 (by Henry VIII) on the basis of superior wear properties, and perhaps to save the state mint costs. ... The American Gold Eagle is the official bullion gold coin of the United States. ...


All of the gold in the depository, if pure, could form a cube 19.7 feet (6 m) on a side — a volume of 216 m³. In comparison, all the gold ever mined in the world would form a cube 64.3 feet (19.6 m) on a side, with a volume of approximately 7500 m³.[1]


The United States holds more gold bullion than any other country, with about 2.37 times that of the next leading country, Germany.


Conspiracy theory

A popular and recurring conspiracy theory, as alleged by Edward Durrell, Norman Dodd, Peter Beter and others, claims that the vault is mostly empty and that most of the gold in Fort Knox was removed to London in the late 1960s by President Lyndon Johnson.[3] In response, on September 23, 1974, Senator Walter Huddleston of Kentucky, twelve congressmen, and about 100 members of the news media toured the vault and opened various cells and doors, each filled with gold. Radio reporter Bill Evans, when asked if it seemed like the gold might have been moved in just for the visit, replied that "all I can say is that I saw gold there" and that it seemed like it was always there.[4] Additionally, audits of the gold by the General Accounting Office (in cooperation with the United States Mint and the United States Customs Service in 1974 and the Treasury Department) from 1975-1981 found no discrepancies between the reported and actual amounts of gold at the Depository.[5] However, the audit has been described as a peculiar process because it was only a partial audit done over an extended period of time.[6] The report states only 21 percent of the gold bars were audited as of 1981 (the audit report's issue date) and that the audit has "covered more than 212.7 million fine troy ounces of gold" which "represents over 80 percent of the total amount of United States-owned gold of 264.1 million fine troy ounces."[5] A small amount of gold is removed for regularly scheduled audits to ensure the purity matches official records.[1] The theory continues to persist, however. Of this alleged scandal, the ex-general counsel of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Peter Beter, commented: "The Watergate scandal was child's play compared with the covered-up Fort Knox Gold Scandal".[7] For other uses, see Conspiracy theory (disambiguation). ... Edward Durrell (1910s - early 1980s) was an industrialist at Milton Valley Farm in Clarke County, Virginia and served as the board chairman for the Union Fork and Hoe Company. ... Norman Dodd (born 1899) is primarily known for his controversial investigation into tax-exempt foundations. ... Peter David Beter Peter David Beter (1921-1987), was an U.S. lawyer, who became a conspiracy theorist. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Walter Darlington Huddleston (born April 15, 1926) is a retired American politician. ... General Accounting Office headquarters, Washington, D.C. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the non-partisan audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of Congress, and an agency in the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. ... Seal of the U.S. Mint Denver United States mint building The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. ... The United States Customs Service (now part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection or CBP) was the portion of the US Federal Government dedicated to keeping illegal products outside of US borders. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... The U.S. Treasury building today. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... AUGUST 25 1981 US Marine Sean Vance is Born on the 25th of August {ear nav|1981}} Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Audit (disambiguation). ... A General Counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. ... The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank, Exim Bank or Eximbank) is the official export credit agency of the United States Government. ... Peter David Beter Peter David Beter (1921-1987), was an U.S. lawyer, who became a conspiracy theorist. ... Watergate redirects here. ...


In popular culture

The bullion depository has become a symbol of an impregnable vault, leading to phrases such as "locked up tighter than Fort Knox" or "safer than Fort Knox".


Cinema

  • The 1937 RKO Lee Tracy film Behind the Headlines climaxes in a plan to steal gold bars en route from Washington D.C. to Fort Knox.
  • The 1951 Bud Abbott & Lou Costello film Comin' Round the Mountain has the two using a treasure map to find a stash of gold. When they finally reach the gold at the end of the film, they find themselves in the middle of Fort Knox and are immediately arrested.
  • The popular 1959 Ian Fleming-written James Bond novel Goldfinger, and the 1964 movie of the same name, are about a criminal plot called "Operation Grand Slam" to break in to the U.S. Bullion Depository. In the book, Auric Goldfinger's plan is to steal the gold. In the movie, it is to render the gold contained in the Depository radioactive and useless with a nuclear device, crippling the economy and driving up the price of the gold Goldfinger already has. The movie was set before the U.S. dollar ceased to be backed by gold in 1971.[8]

See also: 1936 in film 1937 category:1937 films 1938 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US. May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US. Top grossing films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Conquest Damaged Lives... RKO could stand for: RKO Pictures The R.K.O. - finishing manoever (and initials) of WWE professional wrestler Randy Orton. ... Lee Tracy (born William Lee Tracy on April 14, 1898 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; died October 18, 1968 in Santa Monica, California) is an American actor. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... William Alexander “Bud” Abbott (October 2, 1895 – April 24, 1974) was an American actor, producer and comedian born in Asbury Park, New Jersey. ... Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo; March 6, 1906 - March 3, 1959), was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott. ... Comin Round The Mountain is a 1951 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... This article is about the author. ... This article is about the spy series. ... For other uses, see Goldfinger. ... Goldfinger is the third film in the James Bond series, and the third to star Sean Connery as the MI6 agent. ... Auric Goldfinger is a fictional character in the James Bond film and novel Goldfinger. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... USD redirects here. ... For other uses, see Gold standard (disambiguation). ...

See also

The Fed redirects here. ... The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is the most important of the twelve Federal Reserve Banks of the United States. ... Statues of fancifully painted horses can currently be seen around Louisville. ... // Gold ingots, like these from the Bank of Sweden, form the base of many monetary systems Gold reserves (or gold holdings) are held by central banks as a store of value. ...

References

  1. ^ a b c About the Mint. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  2. ^ Schoen, John W. (April 30, 2007). How come the dollar keeps falling?. MSNBC. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
  3. ^ Beter, Peter. The Conspiracy Against the Dollar. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  4. ^ Bartlett, Greg. Is there gold in that thar vault?. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  5. ^ a b Continuing Audit of US Governmment-owned Gold. Gold Commission Report, Annex D. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  6. ^ Commentary Archives (7 May 2004). Report of the U.S. Gold Commission. In the Library. The Golden Sextant. Retrieved on 2007-08-07.
  7. ^ Peter Beter, Audio letter 56
  8. ^ Goldfinger (1964)

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Peter David Beter Peter David Beter (1921-1987), was an U.S. lawyer, who became a conspiracy theorist. ...

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