Central banks around the world have substantial domestic and foreign financial assets and liabilities on their balance sheets reflecting their role as monetary authorities. This paper explores the long-term trends in risk and return in central banking using the central bank of Denmark, Danmarks...

Why did monetary authorities hold large gold reserves under Bretton Woods (1944-1971) when only the US had to? We argue that gold holdings were driven by institutional memory and persistent habits of central bankers. Countries continued to back currency in circulation with gold reserves,...