Fort. Knox’s massive reserve has reportedly been valued at $425 billion according to the New York Post, with the rest of the United States’ highly sought-after metal being stored in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Rand Paul said he has tried to get his eyes on the Ft. Knox gold for 10 years “to make sure it’s all there.”
Source – Fox News
DOGE – Department of Government Efficiency
January 1, 2026, a significant regulatory shift took hold in Washington State, fundamentally altering the landscape for physical metal investors. The implementation of Engrossed Senate Substitute Bill (ESSB) 5794 officially repealed the state’s long-standing sales tax exemption on precious metal bullion and monetized coins. For the first time since 1985, residents in the Evergreen State must now pay a statewide 6.5% sales tax—plus local surtaxes that can push the total levy as high as 10.6%—on every ounce of gold or silver they acquire.
The most immediate losers of this policy shift are the brick-and-mortar dealers within Washington State. Historically, these businesses drew customers from across the Pacific Northwest, but they now face a stark competitive disadvantage against neighboring Oregon, which has no sales tax, and Idaho, which maintains its bullion exemption.
Source – Financial Content
Devastating to learn that Washington’s 40 years of no tax on gold and silver has taken effect this year. We are in March now since this has started but what a shame for this to have happened. I hope all businesses stay strong and speak to those who can help change this tax law back to the way it was. Good luck!
-V.
The bill says, “any aggrieved taxpayer who has had taxes collected from them in any purchase that are exempt under KRS 139.480(37), may maintain an action for a refund on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, without need to resort to any administrative process, against any person collecting or holding such tax funds, including the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Commissioner of the Department of Revenue.”
“If you own gold, you can afford to pay sales tax.” said Gov. Beshear
Source – Money Metals
The red metal, along with pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber, earns an exemption from “reciprocal” tariffs on most goods entering the U.S.
Referred to in a White House fact sheet as “responsive tariffs,” President Trump spells out the rationale for and specific examples of other nations’ tariffs in that April 2 fact sheet, fully titled “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security.”
“Some goods will not be subject to the Reciprocal Tariff”
“Copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber articles”
Source – Recycling Today
Spot gold fell 0.2% to $2,634.52 per ounce by 2:27 a.m. ET (1927 GMT). U.S. gold futures settled 0.3% lower at $2,647.40.
“Bond yields are back up again, placing pressure on gold,” said Nitesh Shah, commodity strategist at WisdomTree.
“There’s speculation that Trump is going to pull back on tariffs … If (the prices of) commodities go up, inflation’s going to remain higher for longer,” Phillip Streible, chief market strategist at Blue Line Futures, said.
Source – Reuters
A man has denied knowing gold he was trying to help someone sell came from a golden toilet stolen at Blenheim Palace.
Fred Doe admitted putting James Sheen, who has previously pleaded guilty to stealing the toilet, in touch with gold dealer Bora Guccuk but said he would “never in a million years” have dealt with him if he had known it was stolen.
Mr Jones, 39, from Oxford, Mr Doe, previously known as Frederick Sines, 36, from Windsor, and 41-year-old Mr Guccuk, from west London, have all pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.
Source – BBC
The trial is still ongoing. Wow! And the “jurors heard the toilet was most likely broken up and has never been recovered.” How will they prosecute these thieves? Will they get prosecuted? Do they have enough evidence? So many questions! I’ll keep this updated. – V.
Gold prices dipped on Monday as thin holiday trading kept momentum in check. After last week’s sharp decline, gold is attempting to recover but faces resistance between $2607.25 and $2607.35. A breakout above $2629.13 is possible, but traders will need stronger volumes to drive further gains—something unlikely until after the New Year.
Treasury yields edged slightly higher to start the week, with the 10-year yield rising to 4.536% and the 2-year yield ticking up to 4.325%. Yields jumped last week following the Fed’s policy update but eased on Friday after softer-than-expected inflation data. The dollar held steady as markets processed the Fed’s outlook for 2025.
