If you heard talk about 'gold swaps' and wondered what they were all about, this article by Julian D.W. Phillips may help answer your questions.
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Swaps – What are they and who does them?
Swaps are financial instruments that allow for the exchange of one asset for another, in this case, gold for currency. They are not gold leasing, futures or options [which the 1999 and 2004 Central Bank Gold Agreement states would not be increased – The 2009 did not contain the statement]. Swaps could be undertaken by the signatories of the CBGA. as these were not included in any of the three Agreements.
Gold swaps are usually undertaken between central banks: One central bank exchanges foreign exchange deposits (or other reserve assets) for gold with an agreement that the transaction be unwound at an agreed future date, at an agreed price.
The monetary authority acquiring the foreign exchange will pay interest on the foreign exchange received, the rate of which is currently very low. Gold swaps are usually undertaken when the cash-taking central bank may want foreign exchange but does not wish to sell outright its gold holdings.
The Wall Street Journal informs us that the B.I.S. did these swaps with commercial banks. We know of no commercial bank that has 382 tonnes of gold on their books. It is likely then that should these commercial banks have been in the deal, they would have been acting for a central bank [or several over time] who wished to remain anonymous.
The B.I.S. received the gold into its safekeeping for the nation that required the foreign exchange for the swap period. Swaps of this nature are renewable once the time runs out, so it is impossible to say how long the swap will last for. The central bank that undertook the swap would have to be certain that it could return the currencies to get the gold back at some point in the future. If that country defaulted, then and only then could the B.I.S. go ahead and sell this gold. Any sale in the open market would be trumpeted loudly to all as well as reported in the Press or by the World Gold Council, B.I.S. or I.M.F.
Article courtesy www.goldforcaster.com
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