Want to see a bank manager liquidate his asset in his trousers, tell them you're closing your recently opened account, and you would like that $500,000.00 RIGHT DAMN NOW in US Currency as required by law.

I transferred a that much via a bank draft from one institution to another. The new bank locked the funds down for 31 business days. Now a draft is guaranteed good, so there was no "check to clear". THis made it difficult to keep things going business wise for a month.

I was advised by a retired bank fellow to demand cash on the 32nd day, and carry it to another bank (I rented an armored service) If an FDIC bank in the US cannot provide cash for a depositor, they have to lock the doors immediately.

I closed not just my account, but my branch! (well the branch for the day)

Edit: It was a lot of currency, and a headache with all the federal paperwork for large cash transactions. Worth every moment.