This is actually how it works (or did work, recalling the stories of gold manager at a bank) when central banks move gold deposited from one bank (usually other

This is actually how it works (or did work, recalling the stories of gold manager at a bank) when central banks move gold deposited from one bank (usually other central banks, not necessarily) to another. The gold bar is moved from one pile or trolley to another. The clipboard list is updated, and the daily tally is done at the end of the day to make sure nothing's been done incorrectly. Banks in stressed/developing countries may do cash transactions with each other where there are issues of trust. And then to abstract it a bit, there's the cash van moving money deposited at larger, more trusted banks, to smaller commercial banks that have more business customers (again, a much bigger differentiation in banking business in developing/emerging countries), creating a long term net flow of cash (but, if the commercial banks hopefully don't go bankrupt) not of money as credits come electronically.