Why £200 billion of gold is hidden underneath London’s streets and how it was nearly stolen

As Londoners stroll in regards to the streets of town many don’t know in regards to the unbelievable secrets and techniques that lie beneath their ft.

Deep underground and closely protected sits £200 billion value of gold within the Bank of England vaults.

The Bank of England is one of essentially the most highly effective establishments within the United Kingdom and is the second largest keeper of gold on this planet, second solely to the New York Federal Reserve.

Responsible for setting rates of interest, issuing banknotes and sustaining confidence within the British foreign money, it is additionally tasked with taking care of billions of kilos value of gold.

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Bank of England gold vaults

The financial institution shops the UK’s gold reserves

The extremely protected loot thankfully hasn’t been stolen, however there was one slim escape within the Victorian occasions.

In 1836, the Directors of the Bank of England acquired nameless letters by which somebody claimed to have entry to the gold, and provided to fulfill them within the gold vault at an hour of their selecting.

The Directors had been ultimately persuaded to assemble one night time within the vault, and to their shock on the agreed hour a noise was heard from beneath the ground. Then shockingly a person popped up by some of the floorboards.

The man was a sewerman who had found an outdated drain that ran instantly beneath the gold vault whereas doing restore work.

After the preliminary shock of the person’s profitable break in try, a inventory take revealed that amazingly he hadn’t taken any gold.

For his honesty, the Bank of England rewarded him with a present of £800, which might be value about £90,000 in right now’s cash.

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Today the unbelievable vaults have so many gold bars that when you stacked all of them on high of one another, they might be the identical top as 46 Eiffel Towers.

There is additionally sufficient gold to make an unbelievable one billion marriage ceremony rings, or cowl your complete UK in gold leaf six occasions.

Not all of the gold belongs to the financial institution, which offers secure custody for the UK’s gold reserves, it additionally shops gold for different central banks within the safe location.

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