Learning a little about Fort Knox

Driving down the highway to Fort Knox, the most commanding building you will see is the United States Bullion Depository. This facility holds the largest portion of the United States' gold reserve. There are, however, other facilities housing gold around the United States. You may not have known but the Philadelphia Mint, Denver Mint, San Francisco Assay Mint and the West Point Bullion Depository also hold a portion of the gold.

Built in 1937, only guards and employees of the US Treasury Department are allowed access. There are no tours given and no visitors allowed. Only two exceptions have been made to this rule; Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. Even though the depository is located on Fort Knox, the Army will only become involved with the depository if the building comes under attack.

Now onto the gold…

The gold bars are only a little smaller than a building brick. The gold bars are around 7” x 3-5/8” x 1-3/4” and contain around 400 ounces of gold. Each bar weighs about 27-1/2 pounds and is worth approximately $17,000. That is crazy isn’t it!?

The vault door that leads to the gold weighs in excess of 30 tons. So don’t even think about trying to steal any of it! Not to mention you wouldn’t make it past all the barbwire fence and guard posts that sit a top the building. I read that no one person know the whole combination needed to unlock the vault.

I also read that the vault has been used to guard other important things at different times in history; 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.

It is a really cool building but I don't think I would risk my life for a peek inside!