Fort Knox
Bullion Depository
Fort Knox, KY is probably the world's best known gold bullion depository, holding as it does a large proportion of the US gold reserves. It's a place of much fascination as well as having provided inspiration for many writers and movie makers - as well as conspiracy theorists. The Fort Knox reputation for security has led to the name being used to brand products from secure mailboxes to gun safes.History
The Fort Knox gold depository is located in Kentucky, about 30 miles from Louisville. Although it is built on what was once part of the Fort Knox military reservation, it should not be confused with the army post nearby.The depository was built in 1936 by the US Treasury Department and the first gold shipments arrived in 1937. It is currently under the jurisdiction of the US Mint.
The gold stored at Fort Knox is in the form of almost pure bars, each slightly smaller than an average house brick and weighing around 400 ounces. In 1941 the amount stored reached a peak of almost 650 million ounces, currently it holds around 147 million. As well as gold bullion, Fort Knox has also been used to store valuable historic documents including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible.
As you would expect, security is tight at the facility. As well as the latest protective technology the building is equipped with its own power and water systems. There's even a shooting range in the basement where the guards practice. Visitors are not permitted - sorry, you can't buy tickets for a tour!
In recent years no gold has been moved either to or from Fort Knox other than small samples for purity testing and audit purposes. This has helped to flame some of the many conspiracy theories concerning it.
Conspiracy Theories
There have been frequent rumours that there is little or no gold actually stored at Fort Knox and it has either been moved, stolen or sold off secretly by the government. The most enduring version of this theory is that the majority of the gold was moved to London in the 1960s. The government strongly denies these rumours, however given the secrecy surrounding the Fort Knox facility they are likely to remain in circulation.