Mint Moves to Halt Possible 'Run' on Gold

OTTAWA -- To halt a possible "run" on the gold it safeguards for private businesses, the Royal Canadian Mint is reassuring customers their deposits are fully accounted for and in secure vaults as the investigation continues into as much as $20 million in lost precious metals.

Since the scandal broke last week, some precious metals market advisers have been trying to instigate "some kind of a run" on the custodial accounts of the Ottawa mint and other mints around the world, said Jon Nadler, senior metals market analyst with with Montreal-based Kitco, one of the world's leading precious metals bullion dealers.