A Comedy Of Golden Bundesbank Errors

Submitted by Tyler Durden: Follow this simple chronology of events: October 24, 2012 (source: Bundesbank pre-revision; courtesy of Google Cache) "The reasons for storing gold reserves with foreign partner central banks are historical since, at the time, gold at these trading centres was transferred to the Bundesbank. To be more specific: in October 1951 the Bank deutscher Länder, the Bundesbank’s predecessor, purchased its first gold for DM 2.5 million; that was 529 kilograms at the time. By 1956, the gold reserves had risen to DM 6.2 billion, or 1,328 tonnes; upon its foundation in 1957, the Bundesbank took over these reserves. No further gold was added until the 1970s."

October 28, 2012 (source: "Some Follow-Up Questions For The Bundesbank, And Its Gold" courtesy of Zero Hedge)
1. Thiele says:

"By 1956, the gold reserves had risen to DM 6.2 billion, or 1,328 tonnes; upon its foundation in 1957, the Bundesbank took over these reserves. No further gold was added until the 1970s"

This is factually incorrect.
From a documented source such as Timothy Green's gold reserves report from 1999 (source), we find that German gold reserves were 1,328 tonnes in 1956 and continued to rise every year until 1969 when they hit 4034 tonnes, an increase of 200% since 1956! Official German gold in 1970 was 3,537 tonnes and declined to 2,963 by 1979. Since then it has increased by just 400 tonnes.

October 29, 2012 (source: Bundesbank post-revision)
"The reasons for storing gold reserves with foreign partner central banks are historical since, at the time, gold at these trading centres was transferred to the Bundesbank. To be more specific: in October 1951 the Bank deutscher Länder, the Bundesbank’s predecessor, purchased its first gold for DM 2.5 million; that was 529 kilograms at the time. By 1956, the gold reserves had risen to DM 6.2 billion, or 1,328 tonnes; upon its foundation in 1957, the Bundesbank took over these reserves. Further gold was added until the 1970s."

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Minor difference.
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One can only hope that the Bundesbank does not apply the same level of quality-control and error-proofing to its gold holdings, as it does to its official statements.

Source