Fort Knox

/

Did you know...

According to the United States Bullion Depository, Fort Knox, Kentucky

FortKnox.jpg
  • The Fort Knox depository opened in 1937; the first gold was moved to the depository in January that year.
  • The Depository is a classified facility. No visitors are permitted, and no exceptions are made.
  • There are 147.3 million ounces of gold being held at the depository.
  • The only gold removed has been very small quantities used to test the purity of gold during regularly scheduled audits. Except for these samples, no gold has been transferred to or from the Depository for many years.
  • The gold is held as an asset of the United States at book value of $42.22 per ounce. That means Fort Knox is currently holding $6.2 Billion worth of gold!
  • At the current market price of gold, $1,386.75, the value of gold held in Fort Knox is a whopping $204.2 Billion! 
  • The highest gold holdings this century: 649.6 million ounces (December 31, 1941).
  • The size of a standard gold bar: 7 inches x 3 and 5/8 inches x 1 and 3/4 inches. The weight of a standard gold bar is approximately 400 ounces or 27.5 pounds.
  • In the past, the Depository has stored the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible, and Lincoln's second inaugural address.
  • In addition to gold bullion, the Mint has stored valuable items for other government agencies. The Magna Carta was once stored there. The crown, sword, scepter, orb, and cape of St. Stephen, King of Hungary also were stored at the Depository, before being returned to the government of Hungary in 1978.

Source: http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts13