Classification 81: Gold Hoarding (Obsolete)

This classification was established in 1933 to cover investigations of gold hoarding conducted in accordance with the Act of March 9, 1933 and an Executive Order issued on August 28, 1933. Headquarters case number 1 is equivalent to a 0 or 00 file in other classifications. Case files number 2 through 22 are each devoted to compilations of investigations in this classification at one of 21 Bureau Field Offices functioning in 1933. Thus, case file 4 contains all reports from Chicago; 9, all reports from Kansas City; 14, all reports from Philadelphia; and 19, all reports from San Francisco. Each of these Headquarters files opens with a letter from the Director to the Special Agent in Charge enclosing a list of possible gold hoarders submitted by the area's Federal Reserve Bank. Following this letter are various investigative reports and statistical summaries from the Field Office to which the "SAC Letter" has been sent. It is difficult (but not impossible) to follow a single investigative effort as the reports are arranged in chronological order with no reference to the Field Office case numbers appearing on the reports.

The few (six) case files following case 22 seem to cover investigations taking place in cities without FBI Field Offices.

In 1935 the Bureau was instructed by the Department of Justice to conduct no further investigations of gold hoarding after passage of the Gold Reserve Act of 1934. All subsequent correspondence was referred to the Secret Service.

NARA holdings for Classification 81: Gold Hoarding (Obsolete)

The following records under Classification 81: Gold Hoarding (Obsolete) are not yet described in NARA's online catalog. Please contact NARA's Special Access Program at specialaccess_FOIA@nara.gov with your reference request.

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