WORLD GOLD OUTPUT

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 April 1933, Page 4

WORLD GOLD OUTPUT

HOLDINGS OF THE NATIONS. The annual bullion circular of Samuel Montagu and Company contains a statement showing the gold holdings of the various nations of the world at, or near to, the end of 1932. The grand total arrived at is £2,442,825,475 in gold pounds at 77s 101 d a standard ounce. Thc United States holding at the end of the year is shown at £832,200,000, and the French holding at £668.356,000, or together £1,500,556,000. This represents nearly two-thirds of the grand total. The British Empire holding is shown at

£205,731,475, and the next largest holding is that of Switzerland, £97,966,000. In connection with the grand total it should be noted some countries include amounts held abroad in their holdings. The circular includes satisfies indicating the position, occupied by the British Empire with regard to the production of gold. It is estimated that world production of gold last year amounted to the record total of £101,500,000 in gold pounds at 84s Hid a fine ounce, against £94,300,000 in 1931. The British Empire’s contribution to the total rose from £66,000,000 to £71,600,000, its proportion of the total being little changed at 70.5 per cent. South Africa’s proportion of th© world total was slightly lower at 48.4 per cent., in spite of the Rand’s record production.