Michael Briese loves the Hollywood movies and how easy they make a jewelry store or bank heist look. It is as if people simply walk in to a jeweler, walk out with a Rolex, and rob the biggest bank of New York as an afterthought! In reality, none of this is true. Banks, in particular, are incredibly safe and very few, if any, would ever be able to break into one and, if they do, they would get busted long before they were out. So what are some of the most impenetrable banks that exist?
Michael Briese on the World’s Most Secure Banks
Fort Knox is the US Bullion Depository and everybody wants to get in it. However, with the armed military and armed guards, not to mention the wall perimeter, which is solid granite, there is little chance of getting in. But if you can, the vault is still guarded by a 22 ton door as well. And that door has the world’s most intricate lock, because it takes 10 people, with the right credentials, to open it. Unsurprisingly, nobody has ever tried robbing Fort Knox.
The United Kingdom’s answer to Fort Knox is the Band of England’s Gold Vault. It contains some 4,600 tons of the precious metal, and only New York’s Federal Reserve has more. Not even a bomb can get through the walls, which is why employees sheltered here during the Blitz. If the door has to be opened, a complex process has to be followed, including various security measures, voice recognition, and three-foot keys.
- Iran’s Gold Reserve
One of the greatest things about Iran’s Gold Reserve is that people don’t know where it is. Occasionally, a Facebook post appears saying it’s been found, but those are as real as the posts saying they finally know who Banksy is. Because people don’t know where it is, they can’t plan a heist either!
- The Dominion Bank Vault
This is located in Toronto, Canada and was long the most secure bank in the world. It has lots of surveillance passages, is constructed on bedrock, and has a range of other features that make it almost impossible to get in. The 40 ton door that secures the vault is also a pretty good deterrent.
- The Hard Rock Vault
The Hard Rock Vault is a vault with a difference. You may have heard of it in an email newsletter by any music fan. It is where the world’s greatest pieces of music and music memorabilia are stored. The handwritten lyric to Instant Karma (John Lennon) and the Flying V (Jimmy Hendrix’ guitar) are all stored here.
For some criminals, the lure of big money is too big to resist, and they make plans to get into any of these five vaults. To date, none of them have succeeded and it is unlikely that they ever will.