One of the most popular exhibits at the Money Museum is the real gold bar. The gold bar is the only one housed at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. On loan from the U.S. Treasury, this bar was cast in 1959 at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco. The gross weight of the bar is stamped on its top face as “ozs 389.27” (troy ounces), which is about 27 pounds. The gold bar on display is placed in a case that allows visitors to lift the bar and feel how heavy it is.

The bar on display is on loan to the Kansas City Fed from the New York Fed. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is the only Bank in the Federal Reserve System with a gold vault in their facility. None of the gold in their vault belongs to the New York Fed or the Federal Reserve System. The New York Fed acts as the guardian and custodian of the gold on behalf of the account holders, which is the U.S. government, foreign governments, other central banks, and official international organizations. No individual or private sector entities are permitted to store gold in the vault.

The Federal Reserve and Gold Bars

Gold Bars