“they simply sold the older, less pure gold bars in New York for what they were worth in U.S. dollars as gold prices were reaching all-time highs, then pocketed the cash and bought bars that met their updated weight and purity standards in Europe, as prices conveniently pulled back.”
-https://www.kitco.com/news/article/2026-04-06/bank-france-sells-its-129-tonne-us-gold-reserve-then-buys-it-back-europe