Belgium maintained the Belgian franc alongside the Belga, an international trading currency backed by gold. That arrangement required substantial reserves, estimated here at about 600 tons in 1940 and possibly more. During the 1930s, Belgium moved gold to the United States, Britain and Canada so that it remained accessible while being dispersed for protection. Roughly 40 to 50 tons remained at Ostend. The patrol boat A4, a former Royal Navy trawler sold to Belgium after World War I, was available to carry that remaining reserve away.
Notable Point · 41:25-43:39
Belgium disperses gold reserves before invasion
Gold-backed trade and prewar dispersal explain both Belgium's large reserves and the remaining cargo that needed to escape from Ostend.