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Many forget that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, by Executive Order, banned American citizens from owning gold. Tuesday marked the 78th anniversary of FDR’s decree.
The Executive Order remained the law of the land until August 15, 1974 when President Gerald Ford signed legislation removing the ban.
This one act by President Ford may make him one of the greatest President’s of all time. If severe inflation ever hits the United States because of excessive Federal Reserve money printing, President Ford’s repeal of the ban makes it much easier for average Americans to protect themselves thorugh owning gold. .
His signing of this legislation could indeed someday protect against the collapse of most exchange during a hyper-inflation, since we all now should have a few bullion gold coins tucked away that could keep exchange continuing during such a crisis period. The importance of protecting exchange and markets in a highly industrialized country such as the United States should not be underestimated. In a world of governments and central banks gone mad, thanks to President Ford, we have a very important freedom restored that could be very important in maintaing civility in a time of a paper money crisis.
Here’s FDR’s evil order:
Executive Order 6102
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 America, 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 the 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 a 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 amount not exceeding in the aggregate $100 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 reexport or held pending action on applications for export licenses.
Section 3.
Until otherwise ordered any person becoming the owner of any gold coin, gold bullion, or gold certificates after April 28, 1933, shall, within three days after receipt thereof, deliver the same in the manner prescribed in Section 2; unless such gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates are held for any of the purposes specified in paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) of Section 2; or unless such gold coin or gold bullion is held for purposes specified in paragraph (d) of Section 2 and the person holding it is, with respect to such gold coin or bullion, a licensee or applicant for license pending action thereon.
Section 4.
Upon receipt of gold coin, gold bullion or gold certificates delivered to it in accordance with Sections 2 or 3, the Federal Reserve Bank or member bank will pay therefor an equivalent amount of any other form of coin or currency coined or issued under the laws of the United States.
