Minderwertige Gold-Lieferungen an die Bundesbank: 172 fehlende Barren (Memo der Bank von England vom Mai 1968 an die Federal Reserve Bank)
Aus dem Memorandum C43/323 der Bank von England vom 31. Mai 1968 mit dem Titel "GOLD AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE OFFICE FILE: FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NEW YORK (FRBNY) - MISCELLANEOUS" des Mr. Robeson an den Chief Cashier Roy Bridge ergibt sich, daß der Bundesbank während des Bretton Woods Regimes minderwertige Goldbarren ("bad delivery bars") geliefert worden sind. Zum damaligen Zeitpunkt belief sich das Defizit auf 172 Goldbarren.
Den Text des Memorandums finden Sie hier:
MR. BRIDGE
THE CHIEF CASHIER
U.S. Assay Office Gold Bars
1. We have from time to time had occasion to draw the Americans’ attention of the poor standards of finish of U.S. Assay Office bars. In addition in 1961 we passed on to them comments from Johnson Matthey to the effect that spectrographic examination did not support the claimed assay on one bar they had so tested (although they would not by normal processes have challenged the assay) and that impurities in the bar included iron which caused some material to be retained on the sides of crucible after pouring.
2. Recently, Johnson Matthey have put 172 “bad delivery” U.S. Assay Office bars into good delivery form for account of the Deutsche Bundesbank. These bars formed part of recent shipments by the Federal Reserve Bank to provide gold in London in repayment of swaps with the Bundesbank. The out-turn of the re-melting showed a loss in fine ounces terms four times greater than the gross weight loss. Asked to comment Johnson Matthey have indicated verbally that:-
(a) the mixing of “melt” bars of differing assays in one “pot” could produce a result which might be a contributing factor to a heavier loss in fine weight but they did not think this would be substantial ;
(b) a variation of .0001 in assay between different assayers is an extremely common phenomenon;
(c) over a long period of years they had had experience of unsatisfactory U.S. assays
3. It is not, however, possible to say that the U.S. assays were at fault because Johnson Matthey did not test any of the individual bars before putting them into the pot.
4. The Federal Reserve Bank have informed the Bundesbank that adjustments for differences in weight and refining charges will be reimbursed by the U.S.Treasury.
5. No indication should, of course, be given to the Bundesbank, or any other central bank holder of U.S. bars, as to the refiner’s views on them. The peculiarity of the out-turn will be known to the Bundesbank: it has so far occasioned no comment.
6. We should draw the attention of the Federal to the discrepancy in this (and any similar subsequent such) result and add simply that the refiners have made no formal comment but have indicate that, although very small differences in assay are not uncommon, their experience with U.S. Assay Office bars has not been satisfactory.
7. We hold 3,909 U.S. Assay Office bars for H.M.T. in London (in addition to the New York holding of 8,630 bars). After the London gold market was reopened in 1954 we test assayed the bars of certain assayers to ensure that pre-war standards were being maintained. It might be premature to set up arrangements now for sample test assays of U.S. Assay Office bars but if it appeared likely that the present discontent of the refiners might crystalise into formal complain we should certainly need to do this. In the meantime I would recommend no further action.
31st May 1968
P.W.R.R.
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=C43%2f323&pos=1
Bitte stellen Sie folgende Informationen zur Verfügung:
1. Alle internen und externen Prüfberichte zu den bis Mai 1968 betroffenen Gold-Lieferungen an die Bundesbank
2. Den gesamten Schriftverkehr mit der Bank von England über die betroffenen Gold-Lieferungen
3. Unterlagen über das Ergebnis der Reklamationen der Bundesbank bei der Bank von England
4. Unterlagen über den der Bundesbank entstandenen und verbliebenen Schaden aus den minderwertigen Gold-Lieferungen.
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Datum10. November 2012
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12. Dezember 2012
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3 Follower:innen
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