With all the talk of Britain falling back into recession, these pictures show that there’s still a few pence in the bank. Photos from inside the vault of the Bank of England show £156 Billion ($247 billion) in gold – a high proportion of which is actually deposited by foreign governments as well as British. Deep underneath the nation’s financial heart there are piles upon piles of 28lb gold bars which make for reassuring viewing.
£156 Billion in Gold Bars
The gold bars weighing 4,600 tons in totality are stored in an old canteen deep below the streets of the capital. The 24-carat gold bars are stacked on simple blue shelves beneath strip lighting as is seen in the images. Different marks on the gold bars help distinguish the sources of the gold, i.e. foreign governments or the country’s own. The walls of this vault are still adorned with posters from 1940’s when this place was used as a canteen.
The walls themselves are bombproof and were used by bank staff as air raid shelters during World War II. Three-foot long keys are needed to unlock the doors that guard the rooms holding the gold, so those planning a midnight raid had better think again! [Daily Mail]
£156 Billion in Gold Bars
