How much gold is stored at Fort Knox? And is it all the property of the American public?
The vaults hold 147.3-million ounces of gold, all of which is owned by the United States. The gold, which is worth more than $100-billion, is stored at the United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Ky. That’s part of the U.S. Mint, which makes the nation’s coins. The Fort Knox depository is a classified facility; no visitors are permitted. Interestingly, Fort Knox isn’t the largest depository of gold in the country — a full 216-million ounces of gold, worth $160-billion, is stored at the New York office of the Federal Reserve. Tours of the Fed’s gold vaults are available to the public. The gold at the New York Fed belongs to foreign governments, central banks and international monetary organizations, with only small portion belonging to the U.S. government. Soapbox dates to 1800s London Where does the expression “standing on a soapbox” originate? A soapbox was once a familiar sight, as it was “found on almost every wash-stand in Great Britain,” according to an entry in the Oxford
