The Bullion Office was located in the heart of the Bank. It had been built originally by George Sampson in 1734, subsequently altered by Robert Taylor and then expanded by Soane during the north-east extension of 1797. In March 1806 the Building Committee requested plans for the new office, and Soane's design was approved on June 1806. The building was constructed by October 1807 but not yet 'fitted up'. In October Soane presented a design for the interior, which was approved. The office was ready for occupation in February 1808. The east and west sides of the Bullion Court were rebuilt, the west wall being a part of the new Long Passage in the Discount Office and Long Passage scheme.

The Bullion Office was responsible for the supervision of the Bank's store of gold coin, and for the physical handling and custody of all the Bank's gold (Hennessey, p. 243). Gold was brought through the entrance on Lothbury and unloaded in the Bullion Court. The gold was unpacked and weighed, and stamped with a serial number, a letter, and an impression of the Bank of England medallion. The bullion was stored in the vaults under the Bank (Vaults beneath the Directors' offices and Pay Hall scheme), which were altered and expanded over the years. Two principal vaults were adjacent to the Bullion Office: one for the Bank's reserves and the other for the public's bullion. The Bank offered free storage for bullion, only charging for the bullion to be weighed. All the gold was kept in bars, the silver kept in pigs and bars, and the dollars in bags (Timbs).

See SM M281 for a model of the Bullion Office with three segmental vaults that can be removed to show the plaster ribbing of the ceiling. For a preliminary design of the extended Bullion Office, as it was proposed to the Building Committee December 10th 1805, see SM 9/4/32.

Literature: J. Timbs, Curiosities of London: exhibiting the most rare and remarkable objects of interest in the metropolis, London, 1855, pp. 23-26; M. Acres, The Bank of England from within, 1931; E. Hennessy, A domestic history of the Bank of England, 1992; M. Richardson and M.A. Stevens (eds), John Soane architect: master of space and light, 1999, p.248, fig.163 (model); D. Abramson, Building the Bank of England: money, architecture, society 1694-1942, 2005, p.179, fig. 217.

Madeleine Helmer, 2011

Group

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