s ▁Category : W ales ▁national ▁rugby ▁league ▁team ▁players ▁Category : English ▁rugby ▁league ▁players <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Exchange ▁St abil ization ▁Fund ▁( ES F ) ▁is ▁an ▁emer gency ▁reserve ▁fund ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Tre as ury ▁Department , ▁normally ▁used ▁for ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁inter vention . ▁This ▁arrangement ▁( as ▁opposed ▁to ▁having ▁the ▁central ▁bank ▁interven e ▁directly ) ▁allows ▁the ▁US ▁government ▁to ▁influence ▁currency ▁exchange ▁rates ▁without ▁directly ▁affect ing ▁domestic ▁money ▁supply . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁fund ▁held ▁assets ▁worth ▁$ 1 0 5 ▁billion , ▁including ▁$ 5 8 . 1 ▁billion ▁in ▁special ▁drawing ▁rights ▁( SD R ) ▁from ▁the ▁International ▁Mon et ary ▁Fund . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Exchange ▁St abil ization ▁Fund ▁was ▁established ▁at ▁the ▁Tre as ury ▁Department ▁by ▁a ▁provision ▁in ▁the ▁Gold ▁Reserve ▁Act ▁of ▁January ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 4 . ▁. ▁It ▁was ▁intended ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁Britain ' s ▁Exchange ▁Equ al isation ▁Account . ▁ ▁The ▁fund ▁began ▁operations ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁fin anced ▁by ▁$ 2 ▁billion ▁of ▁the ▁$ 2 . 8 ▁billion ▁paper ▁profit ▁the ▁government ▁realized ▁from ▁raising ▁the ▁price ▁of ▁gold ▁to ▁$ 3 5 ▁an ▁ ounce ▁from ▁$ 2 0 . 6 7 . ▁ ▁The ▁act ▁author ized ▁the ▁ES F ▁to ▁use ▁its ▁capital ▁to ▁deal ▁in ▁gold ▁and