Us Code § 5117 - Transferring gold and gold certificates
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 5117 — Transferring gold and gold certificates, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 5117. Transferring gold and gold certificates
(a) All right, title, and interest, and every claim of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, a Federal reserve bank, and a Federal reserve agent, in and to gold is transferred to and vests in the United States Government to be held in the Treasury. Payment for the transferred gold is made by crediting equivalent amounts in dollars in accounts established in the Treasury under the 15th paragraph of section 16 of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 467). Gold not in the possession of the Government shall be held in custody for the Government and delivered on the order of the Secretary of the Treasury. The Board of Governors, Federal reserve banks, and Federal reserve agents shall give instructions and take action necessary to ensure that the gold is so held and delivered.
(b) The Secretary shall issue gold certificates against gold transferred under subsection (a) of this section. The Secretary may issue gold certificates against other gold held in the Treasury. The Secretary may prescribe the form and denominations of the certificates. The amount of outstanding certificates may be not more than the value (for the purpose of issuing those certificates, of 42 and two-ninths dollars a fine troy ounce) of the gold held against gold certificates. The Secretary shall hold gold in the Treasury equal to the required dollar amount as security for gold certificates issued after January 29, 1934.
(c) With the approval of the President, the Secretary may prescribe regulations the Secretary considers necessary to carry out this section.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 984.)
| Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
|---|---|---|
| 5117(a) | 31:441(1st, last sentences). | Jan. 30, 1934, ch. 6, §§2(a), 11, 48 Stat. 337, 342. |
| 5117(b) | 31:405b. | Jan. 30, 1934, ch. 6, §14(c), 48 Stat. 344; Mar. 18, 1968, Pub. L. 90–269, §12, 82 Stat. 51; restated Oct. 19, 1976, Pub. L. 94–564, §8, 90 Stat. 2661. |
| 31:408a(last proviso). | Jan. 30, 1934, ch. 6, §6(last proviso), 48 Stat. 340; Mar. 18, 1968, Pub. L. 90–269, §8, 82 Stat. 50. | |
| 31:441(2d sentence). | ||
| 5117(c) | 31:822b. |
In subsection (a), the words "On January 30, 1934" are omitted as executed. The word "gold" is substituted for "gold coin and gold bullion" for consistency and to omit unnecessary words. The word "transferred" is substituted for "pass" for consistency in the subsection. The words "to be held in the Treasury" are added for consistency with the source provisions restated in subsection (b) of the revised section.
In subsection (b), the first sentence is substituted for 31:441(2d sentence) for consistency. The word "issued" in 31:405b is omitted as being included in "outstanding". The words "of 42 and two-ninths dollars a fine troy ounce)" are substituted for "at the legal standard provided in section 449 of this title on October 19, 1976" because that was the legal standard in that section on that date. The text of 31:449 was repealed by section 6 of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act. The words "The Secretary shall hold . . . in the Treasury . . . as security" are substituted for "security . . . shall be maintained" in 31:408a(last proviso) because of the source provisions restated in section 321 of the revised title. The words "gold certificates issued after January 29, 1934" are substituted for "gold certificates (including the gold certificates held in the Treasury for credits payable therein)" for clarity and because of section 5118(c)(1)(A) of the revised title.
In subsection (c), the word "regulations" is substituted for "rules and regulations", and the word "necessary" is substituted for "necessary or proper", to eliminate unnecessary words.
About This Section
31 U.S.C. § 5117 is part of Title 31 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 31 U.S.C. § 5117. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.