The VIP of vaults

The New York Federal Reserve’s gold vault is the world’s largest known depository of monetary gold, with approximately 497,000 gold bars as of 2019. The combined weight of the deposits is about 6,190 tons (about 5,615 tonnes).

The vault, located in the basement floor of the New York Fed’s main building, can support such weight because it rests on the bedrock of Manhattan Island — 80 feet below street level and 50 feet below sea level. The New York Fed acts as the guardian and custodian of the gold on behalf of account holders, which include the US government, foreign governments, other central banks, and official international organisations. No individuals or private sector entities are permitted to store gold in the vault.

Get more information from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.