The Gold Confiscation Of April 5, 1933
From: President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Dated: 5 April, 1933
Presidential Executive Order 6102
UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER OF
THE PRESIDENT
Issued April 5, 1933
all persons are required to deliver
ON OR BEFORE MAY 1, 1933
all GOLD COIN, GOLD BULLION, AND GOLD CERTIFICATES now owned by them to a Federal Reserve Bank, branch or agency, or to any member bank of the Federal Reserve System.
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EXECUTIVE ORDER
FORBIDDING THE HOARDING OF GOLD COIN,
GOLD BULLION AND GOLD CERTIFICATES.
By virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 5 (b) of the Act of October 6, 1917, as amended by Section 2 of the Act of march 9, 1933, entitled “An act to provide relief in the existing national emergency in banking, and for other purposes”, in which amendatory Act Congress declared that a serious emergency exists. I, Franklin D Roosevelt, President of the United States of American, do declare that said national emergency still continues to exist and pursuant to said section do hereby prohibit the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion, and gold certificates within the continental United States by individuals, partnerships, associations and corporations and hereby prescribe the following regulations for carrying out he purposes of this order:
Section 1. For the purposes of this regulation the term “hoarding” means the withdrawal and withholding of gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates from the recognized and customary channels of trade. The term “person” means any individual, partnership, association or corporation.
Section 2. All persons are hereby required to deliver on or before May 1, 1933, to a Federal reserve bank or branch or agency thereof or to any member bank of the Federal Reserve System all gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates now owned by them or coming into their ownership on or before April 28, 1933, except the following:
(a) Such amount of gold as may be required for legitimate and customary use in industry, profession or art within a reasonable time, including gold prior to refining and stocks of gold in reasonable amounts for the usual trade requirements of owners mining and refining such gold.
(b) Gold coin and gold certificates in an about not exceeding in the aggregate $100.00 belonging to any one person; and gold coins having a recognized special value to collectors of rare and unusual coins.
(c) Gold coin and bullion earmarked or held in trust for a recognized foreign government or foreign central bank or the Bank for International Settlements.
(d) Gold coin and bullion licensed for other proper transactions (not involving hoarding) including gold coin and bullion imported for re-export or held pending action on application for export licenses.
Section 3. Until otherwise ordered by any person becoming the owner of any gold coin, gold bullion or bold certificates after April 28, 1933, shall, within three days after receipt thereof, deliver same in the manner prescribed in Section 2; unless such gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates are held in any of the purposes specified in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of Section 2; or unless such gold coin, or gold bullion is held for purposes specified in paragraph (d) or Section 2 and the person holding it is, with respect to such gold coin or bullion, a licensee or applicant for license pending action thereupon.
Section 4. Upon receipt of gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates delivered to it in accordance with Section 2 or 3, the Federal reserve bank or member bank will pay therefore an equivalent amount of any form of coin or currency coined or issued under the laws of the United States.
Section 5. Member banks shall deliver all gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates owned or received by them (other than exempted under the provision or Section 2) to the Federal reserve banks of their respective districts and receive credit or payment therefore.
Section 6. The Secretary of the Treasury, out of the sum made available to the President by Section 501 of the Act of March 9, 1933, will in all proper cases pay the reasonable cost of transportation of gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates delivered to a member bank or Federal Reserve Bank in accordance with Section 2, 3, or 5 hereof, including the cost of insurance, protection, and such other incidental costs as may be necessary, upon production of satisfactory evidence of such costs. Voucher forms for this purpose may be procured from the Federal reserve banks.
Section 7. In cases where the delivery of gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates by the owners thereof within the time set forth above will involve extraordinary hardship difficulty, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, extend the time within the time set forth above will involve extra ordinary hardship difficulty, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in his discretion, extend the time within which such delivery must be made. Applications for such extension must be made in writing under oath addressed to the Secretary of the Treasury and filed with a Federal reserve bank. Each application must state the date to which the extension is desired, the amount and location of the gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates in respect of which such application is made and the facts showing extension to the necessary to avoid extraordinary hardship or difficulty.
Section 8. The Secretary of the Treasure is hereby authorized and empowered to issue such further regulations as he may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this order and to issue licenses there under, through such offices or agencies as he may designate, including licenses permitting the Federal reserve banks and member banks of the Federal Reserve System, in return for an equivalent amount of other coin, currency or credit, to deliver, earmark or hold in trust gold coin and bullion to or for persons showing the need for the same for any of the purposes specified in Paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) of Section 2 of these regulations.
Section 9. Whoever willfully violates any provision of this Executive Order or of these regulations or of any rule, regulation or license issued there under may be fined not more than $10,000 or if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than then years, or both; and any officer, director or agency of any corporation who knowingly participates in any such violation may be punished by a like fine, imprisonment, or both.
This order and these regulations may be modified or revoked at any time.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT
THE WHITE HOUSE, April 5, 1933
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For Further Information Consult Your Local Bank
GOLD CERTIFICATES may be identified by the words “GOLD CERTIFICATE” appearing thereon. The serial number and the Treasury seal on the face of a GOLD CERTIFICATE are printed in YELLOW. Be careful not to confuse GOLD CERTIFICATES with other issues which are redeemable in gold but which are not GOLD CERTIFICATES. Federal Reserve Notes and United States Notes are “redeemable in gold” but are not “GOLD CERTIFICATES” and are not required to be surrendered.
Special attention is directed to the exceptions allowed under Section 2 of the Executive Order
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CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF EXECUTIVE ORDER
$10,000 fine or 10 years imprisonment, or both, as provided in Section 9 of the order
William H. Woodin, Secretary of the Treasury
Disclaimer: This Presidential Executive Order 6102 is provided for informational purposes only.