Many of the lost Confederate gold stories appeared in the treasure mags of the 50's and 60's-the most common involved a Confederate paymaster being attacked by Union troops and if in Florida Union gunboats-the amounts given were always between $250,000-$500,000.First off ,Paymasters,either Union or Confederate did not carry large amounts of gold or silver specie,but had paper currency.Second,Memminger was highly upset with the loss of $38,750 and wrote letters about that loss-a loss of $250,00-500,000 in gold and silver would have been a major catastrophe and would have been noted.
The few gold tranactions that occured with the Confederacy were with the CSA "Cow Calvary" around Fort Meade,because cracker cowmen,Jacob Summerlin and Mose Barber,among others,did not accept Confederate currency,and on the "Swamp Gold "thread I have detailed the true tale of lost 50 lbs of Cuban & Spanish specie (about $12,000 1864),nowhere near the amounts listed in other tales and legends.
It is possible that the 1885 "BEALE PAPERS" are based on hidden Confederate treasure,because of the events in Danville with Benjamin and Hutter,and the VMI connection,and the key may well be a certain copy of Vattel's 'Law of Nations'.
Yes,the KGC had vaults,most members were businessmen before the War,and remained businessmen after the War,but most of the assets were depleted,and not in the millions or billions,during Reconstruction.
Former CSA Sec of State and KGC,Judah P Benjamin,while in exile in England,sent Jefferson Davis $12,000 and financial assistance to others of the CSA.
If there were large KGC or Confederate depositories,would they need Benjamin's aid?