There is an old saying that goes, “I wouldn’t tell you for all the gold in Fort Knox.” It has long been rumored that the U.S. supply of gold is stored at the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky. While it is known that the U.S. is the holder of the largest supply of the world’s gold, it is unknown how much of the country’s 8,133 ton supply is held within this depository.
The gold vault at Fort Knox was completed by the U.S. Treasury Department in 1936 and the initial shipments of gold were sent there during the first half of 1937. Some reports claim that approximately 4,600 tons of gold is held at Fort Knox. The remainder of the U.S. gold supply is thought to be contained at the San Francisco Assay Office, the West Point Bullion Depository, and the Philadelphia Mint.
This Fort Knox vault is lined with granite walls and enclosed with a 22-ton blast proof door. A single individual does not hold the vault combination, but instead ten Depository staff members each have separate portions of the combination that they must dial. Fort Knox is secured by fences, alarms, and video surveillance and is protected by both armed guards and the U.S. Army.
Since few people have actually been inside Fort Knox to see the gold for themselves, conspiracy theories have developed over the years. Some believe that President Lyndon Johnson sold the Fort Knox gold in order to keep the price of gold stable. They think that only 1,000 tons of gold remains in the Fort, while others believe that the entire reserve has been reclassified.
According to some accounts, the only Presidents to ever visit Fort Knox were Harry S. Truman and Franklin Roosevelt. Official reports claim that it has been a long time since an audit was conducted at the Fort. It is unlikely that any of us will actually get into Fort Knox ourselves, so we are left to wonder how much gold is actually stored there.