31 U.S.C. § 5122 — Payment to depositors

(a) The Secretary of the Treasury must determine the fineness, weight, and value of each deposit and bar under section 5121 of this title. The value and the amount of charges under subsection

(b) of this section must be based on the fineness and weight of the bullion. The Secretary must give the depositor a statement of the charges and the net amount of the deposit to be paid in money or bars of the same species of bullion as that deposited.

(b) The Secretary must impose a charge equal to the average cost of material, labor, waste, and use of machinery of a United States mint or assay office for—
(1) melting and refining bullion;
(2) using copper as an alloy when bullion deposited is above standard;
(3) separating gold and silver combined in the bullion; and
(4) preparing bars.

(c) The Secretary must pay to the depositor or to a person designated by the depositor money or bars equivalent to the bullion deposited as soon as practicable after the value of the deposit is determined. If demanded, the Secretary must pay depositors in the order in which the bullion is deposited with the Secretary. However, when there is an unavoidable delay in determining the value of a deposit, the Secretary must pay subsequent depositors. When practicable and convenient, the Secretary must pay depositors in the denominations requested by the depositor. After the depositor is paid, the bullion is the property of the United States Government.

(d) To allow the Secretary to pay depositors with as little delay as possible, the Secretary must keep in the mints and assay offices, when possible, money and bullion the Secretary decides are convenient and necessary.