Rothschilds to Central Banks
The Secret Story of Gold Control
The Waterloo Commission
During the Napoleonic wars, the Rothschild family provided crucial financial assistance by supplying gold to the Duke of Wellington. This support saved his army from an almost certain defeat. From 1793 to 1815, Britain was nearly always at war with France, creating immense financial strain on the treasury. By 1813, Wellington’s forces had pushed the French back to the Pyrenees, but funding had become critically tight. His army needed gold and silver coins to pay soldiers and secure supplies, both essential for maintaining morale.
J.C. Herries, the British government’s Commissary in Chief, was responsible for managing army finances. In early 1814, he appointed Nathan Mayer Rothschild to secretly acquire gold without alerting the French. Nathan, already established as one of London’s most influential bullion brokers, used his extensive European network of couriers, bankers, and dealers to quietly purchase gold in small quantities. Once collected, the gold was shipped to southern France, ensuring Wellington’s troops were paid and sustained.
In 1815, when Napoleon escaped from Elba, the financial need returned. Nathan again raised vast sums quickly and even suggested melting bullion to cover the shortage of coins. This enabled Wellington to pay over 209,000 English, Dutch, and Prussian troops in Belgium, leading to Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
Saving the Bank of England
As Nathan Rothschild gained influence, he built a strong relationship with the Bank of England. By the 1820s, he was both a buyer and borrower of gold and silver. In late 1825, a crisis unfolded when the Bank nearly exhausted its reserves of coined gold. Britain’s “cash payments” system—restored in 1821—allowed free exchange of banknotes for gold, but the country’s trade deficit had drained reserves, triggering monetary contraction, falling asset prices, and multiple bank failures.
By December, panic spread across London, with The Times describing “indescribable gloom.” The suspension of cash payments seemed inevitable, but the Rothschilds stepped in with massive gold supplies. This intervention stabilized the system and prevented financial collapse, showing the strength of their global operations.
Mining and Refining
In 1830, Spain granted the Rothschilds rights to the Almadén mercury mines after defaulting on a loan. Mercury was vital for refining gold, giving the family near-monopoly control.
Their involvement began earlier in 1827 when James de Rothschilds to Central Banks opened a refinery in Paris. It expanded in 1852 when they took over the Royal Mint Refinery in London, which they controlled for more than a century. The Royal Mint became central to refining global gold, especially during the California and Australian gold rushes of the 1850s.
The Gold Fixing
The tradition of gold fixing established a recognized global benchmark for pricing. Five participants met at Rothschild’s London offices, telephoning their trading rooms and raising small Union Jack flags while consulting colleagues. Only when all flags were lowered was the price officially “fixed.”
This system operated under Rothschilds to Central Banks management from 1919 until 2004, shaping gold markets worldwide for decades.
For as long as civilization has existed, gold has been the ultimate symbol of wealth and power. Pharaohs built tombs filled with it, kings fought wars over it, and empires rose or fell depending on who controlled it. But behind the glittering surface lies a darker, more mysterious truth: gold has rarely been a free market. Instead, its supply, refining, and even daily price have often been controlled by powerful families, governments, and institutions.
In the modern world, whispers of “hidden hands” manipulating the gold rate still persist. Social media and conspiracy forums echo with claims that wealthy Jewish banking families — especially the Rothschilds to Central Banks — secretly pull the strings of the global economy. Whether one believes these claims or not, history reveals that the Rothschild family did play a defining role in shaping the gold market.
Today, control has shifted to central banks, financial institutions, and exchanges like COMEX and LBMA. Yet the legacy of the Rothschilds to Central Banks — and the allure of conspiracy — refuses to disappear.
This is the secret story of gold control — from battlefields to boardrooms.
Why Does Gold Price Rise and Fall?
Before diving into history, we need to understand why gold moves up or down today.
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Safe Haven Status: In times of war, inflation, or recession, investors rush to gold. Fear makes it shine.
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US Dollar Strength: Gold and the dollar usually move opposite. When the dollar weakens, gold rises.
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Central Bank Buying: Countries like China, India, and Russia are stockpiling gold to reduce reliance on the dollar.
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Paper Gold (Futures Trading): COMEX futures contracts in New York and LBMA trades in London decide global benchmarks. Prices often change without physical gold moving an inch.
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Speculation: Hedge funds, ETFs, and even small traders fuel daily volatility.
⚡ For ordinary buyers, it looks like magic. In reality, it’s a chess game played by central banks and institutions.
Who Holds the Most Gold Today?
According to 2025 data, here are the largest official holders of gold reserves:
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United States: ~8,100 tonnes
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Germany: ~3,300 tonnes
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Italy & France: ~2,400 tonnes each
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Russia & China: 2,000+ tonnes each (and still buying)
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IMF (International Monetary Fund): ~2,800 tonnes
But that’s just the official story. There are private vaults in Switzerland, London, and New York holding unknown tonnes of bullion. Billionaires, banks, and sovereign funds often keep their gold ownership secret.
⚡ The biggest mystery: Fort Knox (USA’s gold reserve). It hasn’t been fully audited in decades. Conspiracy theorists believe it may be empty — the gold sold or secretly moved abroad.
The Rothschild Legacy in Gold: From Battlefields to Banks
No family is more frequently linked with gold conspiracies than the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish dynasty that rose in Europe during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Their story blends history, finance, and myth.
Supplying Gold to Wellington’s Armies (Napoleonic Wars, 1793–1815)
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Britain fought France for over 20 years, draining its treasury.
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In 1814, Duke of Wellington’s army was near collapse — they needed gold and silver coins to pay soldiers and locals.
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J.C. Herries of the British government turned to Nathan Mayer Rothschild in London.
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Using his secret courier and banking network, Nathan quietly bought gold across Europe and shipped it to Wellington.
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This supply saved the British army, kept morale alive, and allowed Wellington to ultimately defeat Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.
👉 Without Rothschild gold, history might have been very different.
Rescuing the Bank of England (1825)
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By the mid-1820s, Britain’s trade deficit was draining gold reserves.
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Banks began collapsing. The Bank of England was on the verge of suspending cash payments.
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Panic spread: The Times reported “indescribable gloom” in London.
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The Rothschild network stepped in, supplying huge volumes of gold at the last minute.
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This saved the Bank of England and stabilized Britain’s financial system.
👉 For many, it was proof that the Rothschilds were more powerful than governments themselves.
Refining & Mercury Monopoly (1830s–1850s)
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In 1830, Spain handed the Rothschilds control of the Almadén mercury mines after defaulting on a loan.
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At that time, mercury was essential for refining gold and silver. This gave them a near monopoly on the refining process.
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They opened a refinery in Paris (1827) and later leased London’s Royal Mint Refinery in 1852.
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This was perfectly timed with the gold rushes of California and Australia — most of that gold passed through Rothschild refineries.
👉 For decades, the Rothschilds had a direct grip on the world’s gold refining pipeline.
The London Gold Fixing (1919–2004)
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In 1919, a daily system was created to set the world’s gold price — known as the London Gold Fixing.
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For almost a century, the meetings were held inside the Rothschild Bank offices in London.
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Representatives of five big banks would raise little Union Jack flags while consulting their trading rooms.
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Only when all flags were lowered was the gold price considered “fixed.”
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This ritual continued until 2004, when Rothschilds withdrew from commodity trading.
👉 For nearly 100 years, the Rothschild name was literally at the center of global gold pricing.
Central Banks: The New Masters of Gold
While the Rothschilds shaped the 19th and early 20th centuries, today’s controllers are different.
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COMEX (New York): Runs the largest gold futures market. Often accused of being a “paper casino” where contracts outnumber physical gold by 100:1.
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LBMA (London Bullion Market Association): Sets standards for bars and oversees global wholesale trading.
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Federal Reserve (USA): Its monetary policies directly influence gold.
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People’s Bank of China & Bank of Russia: Massive buyers of gold to weaken the dollar’s dominance.
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ETFs & Hedge Funds: Institutions like BlackRock and State Street control hundreds of tonnes indirectly through funds.
⚡ Critics argue: These institutions suppress gold prices by flooding markets with paper contracts, ensuring that fiat currencies remain strong.
Why Jews Are Always Linked With Gold
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Historically, Jewish families were pushed out of land ownership and politics, leaving banking and finance as one of the few professions open to them.
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Families like the Rothschilds excelled in this role, becoming symbols of financial power.
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Over time, conspiracy theories exaggerated their influence, claiming they “controlled the world.”
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The truth: While some Jewish families were powerful, today’s gold market is dominated by global banks and central institutions, not a single family or religion.
⚡ But in the court of public opinion, the Rothschild legend still fuels fascination — because people love the idea of hidden rulers.
Gold in 2025: The Current Battlefield
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Wars & Conflicts: Ukraine and the Middle East have driven investors back to gold.
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US Debt Crisis: With record debt and inflation fears, gold demand has surged.
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China & Russia Strategy: Both nations are increasing gold reserves to support de-dollarization.
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Speculation & ETFs: Billions flow in and out of funds like SPDR Gold Shares, swinging prices overnight.
Today, control is less about dynasties and more about giant financial machines. But the mystery remains: is the market truly free?
Is the Gold Market Rigged?
Evidence suggests yes — at least partially.
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Multiple banks (Deutsche Bank, Barclays, HSBC) have been fined for manipulating gold benchmarks.
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COMEX is accused of over-leveraging “paper gold,” distorting prices.
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Rumors still swirl that Rothschilds and other elites secretly influence markets.
📚 References & Further Reading
If you want to dive deeper into the fascinating history of gold, banking dynasties, and central banks, here are some must-read sources:
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Niall Ferguson, The House of Rothschild: The World’s Banker 1849–1998
A detailed account of how the Rothschild family shaped global finance for over a century.
Read Here -
Simon James Bytheway & Mark Metzler, Central Banks and Gold: How Tokyo, London, and New York Shaped the Modern World (Cornell University Press, 2016)
A scholarly exploration of how modern central banks took control of gold and reshaped the world economy.
View on JSTOR
💡 And if you are more interested in the practical side of gold — when to buy, market timing, and jewelry investment — check out our detailed guide:
👉 Best Time to Buy Gold Jewelry
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