Inside the Most Secure Building In The World

This is Fort Knox, one of the most secure buildings in the entire world. It is home to approximately 147.3 million ounces of the United States gold. But just how secure is it and what other secrets could they possibly hide inside those vaults? And is it actually hiding the most valuable treasure of the U.S. government or is it just a decoy to hide the real place that holds it? In the early 1930s, the United States was in the midst of the Great Depression, and the threat of another war in Germany was ever-present. President Roosevelt made it abundantly clear that he was going to make big decisions in order to improve the financial situation in the country, both in stability and in security. He had made his dissatisfaction with the U.S. gold storage situation clear. But before he got to that, in a move to stabilize the economy and prevent the hoarding of gold during this financially trying time, he issued Executive Order 6102, which required U.S. citizens to turn in their gold coins, bullion, and gold certificates to the Federal Reserve in exchange for paper currency. Between 1933 and 1937, this increased the U.S. gold reserves to around $8 billion. After this decision, the gold stores currently located at the New York Assay Office and the Philadelphia Mint were deemed unfit to hold such a large value and needed to be moved to someplace far more secure. You see, these two cities are very close to the shores, which means these locations are very vulnerable. If an enemy attacked from the coast and took control of New York or Philly, the U.S. would lose control of a huge portion of its wealth. So in 1935, the decision was made by President Roosevelt and the United States Treasury Department to commission a new place to store the reserve, a place far away from any shores, a place much more difficult for an enemy to take over, Kentucky. Remember I told you this is Fort Knox at the start? Well, technically where the gold is stored isn't actually called Fort Knox, but rather Fort Knox is the giant military installation in Kentucky that the Gold Storage Building is located on. Fort Knox was established in 1918 as a training center for the U.S. Army during World War I. During the interwar period leading up to World War II, Fort Knox became the primary training center for the U.S. Army's armed forces, playing a crucial role in developing tank warfare tactics. Today, it is still used in training military men for our now more modern and advanced warfare, but its primary use is more on the treasury side instead of the military side, providing storage and protection to the aforementioned 140 million ounce portion of the United States gold supply. This is likely where the name of the building and the name of the base have become synonymous with each other. The building itself which houses the gold is officially known as the United States Bullion Depository, a further and potentially even more integral point. If you are familiar with the geography of the United States, you'd know that Kentucky is actually landlocked, and putting it within Fort Knox would not only force enemies to infiltrate a military base, but also to trudge through mountains from the east. The area itself is also quite isolated from the rest of the world, with railways and highways in the distance, further hindering those who wish to attack it. Also notably, Kentucky is quite close to Washington D.C., in case the federal government ever needed to access it. However, this historically doesn't happen as Roosevelt is the only president in history to ever see the inside of the depository in person. In early 1936, construction would begin and by the end of the year, the new Bullion Depository would be completed. Obviously, it takes more than just a fancy building with a menacing name to protect items of such importance and value. So, what is special about this depository, and how does it manage to keep everything stored in the vault safe from someone looking to get rich? To start with, the building itself features 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 1,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel, and 670 tons of structural steel. Under the building is a gold vault composed of steel plates, steel I-beams, and steel cylinders fastened with hoop bands and enclosed in concrete. The building is two stories high with an area of less than 4,000 square feet. Both the vault gate and emergency gate are 21 inches thick and are made of the latest torch and drill-resistant material of the time. Apparently, the vault is also on a 100-hour time lock, which can only be opened via a specifically trained group of people who each know only a specific portion of the set of numbers that make up the combination. Due to the incredible difficulty for even those with access to open it, the main vault door is hardly ever used as there is a separate back entrance that is specifically used for transporting assets in and out of the vault. Otherwise, living and breathing humans are almost never found inside. Should you, however, happen to be one of these people with access to the vault and you found yourself trapped in it, the lower level of the vault features an escape tunnel leading into the main building. However, this route can only be unlocked from inside the vault and only when the main vault gates are shut and sealed. So, that covers what was constructed to protect and secure the gold. But what about specifically who is responsible for protecting and securing the gold? What specific agency is tasked with keeping it safe from intruders? That would be the responsibility of the Department of Treasury and specifically the U.S. Mint Police, a department of the U.S. government specifically tasked with protecting the various facilities housing over approximately $300 billion in assets. Yes, I say assets and not just gold, because the vault in Fort Knox actually doesn't just hold gold. In fact, it isn't even the largest gold depository in the United States, but it is by far the most heavily secured. Because of its security, Fort Knox has been home to other irreplaceable and valuable items over the years. As the United States joined the Second World War and concerns began to rise about Washington being attacked, important documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the United States Constitution, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, the Gutenberg Bible, the Articles of Confederation, and the Gettysburg Address were all moved to the vault. In addition to prized U.S. documents, Fort Knox has also stored valuable items for other government agencies. In 1939, following the outbreak of World War II in Europe, an original copy of the Magna Carta, which was currently being displayed at the World Fair in New York, was transferred to the vault. It would remain there for nearly a decade before being returned to England in 1947. Other important possessions included the Holy Crown of Hungary, along with the sword, scepter, orb, and cape of St. Stephen, the King of Hungary. The vault was even home to a year's supply of morphine and opium from 1955 onwards. This was done as a precaution during the Cold War, as it was thought that access to such medicine supplies would become harder and harder to come by. Considering the importance of all these documents and artifacts, it should come as no surprise as to why Fort Knox is considered one of the most secure places on Earth. But it isn't the largest depository of gold in the United States. That title belongs to the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The Federal Reserve in New York, or the Fed, which refers to the collection of banks under the Federal Reserve umbrella, is the largest gold depository not only in the United States, but in the entire world. It houses approximately 7,000 tons of gold stored in its underground facilities. A significant portion of the gold housed in the vault arrived during and after World War II, and nearly 95% of it came from other countries. Many countries during the war opted to store their gold reserves in a secure location, and for many, the Fed was an obvious choice. The amount of gold in the vault continued to rise and reached its peak in 1973, shortly after the United States stopped allowing foreign governments to convert dollars into gold. At its highest point, the vault held over 12,000 tons of monetary gold. Since then, activity regarding gold deposits and withdrawals has slowed down, leading to a gradual yet consistent decrease in overall holdings. Nevertheless, the vault remains the largest known depository of monetary gold worldwide, and Fort Knox remains one of the most secure facilities ever to be constructed. Bye for now!