Coin Safe Advice

On the smaller safes mentioned earlier (Sentry).....
I'm 6 foot tall and 285 lbs.
It's all I can do to haul an empty one of these up onto my shoulder.
I will NOT consider attempting to move it, now that it is full.
Now, if someone got a strong cart/dolly in and strapped to it, that may be a little different.
It is on my project list to bolt her down though.
Actually, I will be attaching it to another, side by side, as well.
That may prove to be a pain.

 

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I think he enjoyed your sarcasm and relayed his opinion that there will people that will never agree on one type of protection.

 

It was meant not for you but someone who generally has negative sky is falling things to say about every topic, you just copy/quoted

No harm meant.....

 

Here's what I use at home - a gun safe:

http://www.sentrysafe.com/products/productDetail.aspx?s=206

MSRP is over $800 but you can get this model at Lowes for $300. Plenty of room (for coins and of course guns should you have them), over 300lbs empty and can be bolted to the floor as well. Even at 300lbs I was able to get it home myself in the back of a truck, though it was a workout. Also has room for smaller fire-proof safes inside (which I also have, for paper items). Filled up, it's not going anywhere without a hydraulic lift ;-) For the stuff that's either very rare/valuable or that I'm not going to want to look at any time soon, I use the safe deposit box at the bank.

 

No offense Trickys, but that safe isnt very good. Most gun shows have safes and vaults for sale. Browning and Liberty are real good but real expensive. for half the price and nearly the same quality you can go on line at cabela's or bass pro. But a good barking dog works just as well.

 

Jury's still out here. I have talked to a local fire safe dealer and have yet to go see what he offers. He says he has safes designed like the gun safes as far as size, protection and fire proofing but better suited for coins, etc.. Every shape and size. Best part is he delivers and sets them up for FREE!

 

Sentry

I have a Sentry gun safe and I added some shelves. I agree that the electronic locks are not a good thing. I was a facility security officer in the AF and was responsible for a room full of safes with the electronic locks and we routinely had problems with them. We had to drill a couple of them because they couldn't be opened with the combo.

I bought the safe used for $200 from my father in law, so I'm not sure what he paid for it. It's fire resistant and weighs about 400 lbs empty.

I also agree that you shouldn't let the neighborhood know you have one if you can avoid it. I've had two attempted break-ins since I got the safe six months ago. We never had one at this address until I got the safe. Coincidence maybe - but something to consider.

 

Then about the year 3000 some contractor will excavate the site for a strip mall and stumble upon the coins. The archiologists will arrive and determine this is the evidence of a lost civilization who tried to melt their coins rather than surrender them to an overtaking tribe.

 

maybe someone will doa live experiment and tell us the results. i mean the taste ofthe pudding is inthe eating? Now we need a volunteer

 

I thought it might be someone with a metal detector that would do the finding.
Then he's get into a legal hassle about ownership.

 

For the money, this one's worth it: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4948007

It does use a keypad but also comes with an override key in case you forget the combo or if the keypad fails for whatever reason.

 

thanks very much for all of the responses, guys. i was hoping this would be a matter of looking at one or two choices and the pulling the trigger. suppose it's like most things -- in theory, it sounds like an easy decision to make, but the closer you look at it, the more complicated the question becomes.

to distill everyone's advice, though, the ideal solution is this: construct your own massive fireproof steel vault with both combination lock, key lock, and digital keypad lock. do *not* have the safe or any constituent parts delivered to your home, since the deliverymen will rob you. do *not* situate the vault in your basement, since the damp will ruin your coins. own several guns, preferably machine guns (i like the MG42, mainly for style). have a pack of trained guard dogs roaming your compound at all times, and keep them hungry. if possible, obtain a cloaking device from an alien race and make your home invisible.

looks like i have a lot of work to do.

v.

 

How about just installing a steel entry door with a good multi deadbolt system on the room where your coins are? jams could be reinforced to make them kick proof with little effort and expense. Just a thought.

It all depends on if your are more interested in theft or fire protection.

 

If you haven't picked a safe yet, here're two more really decent manufacturers.
Gardall. www.gardall.com
Amsec. www.amsecusa.com

Though the whole alien race cloaking thing sounds like it holds promise

 

My new safe arrives Thursday, I cannot wait.

It is a 500 pound Liberty, 60" tall 31" wide and 24" deep, Yee haw

 

Locksmiths have the coolest things....battery operated worm gear handtrucks for getting your bouncing new baby up and down the stairs

Congrats on the expected arrival, LOL.

 

I Love it!!! I would hate to be staring down that barrel.

Staying on topic - About 6 years ago I purchased a 5 1/2 foot safe by American Security. It was supposed to be one of the more difficult commercial safes to break into at the time, but fire protection was not taken into consideration. It only has a 30min fire rating. Now it appears that the 2 hour fire rating is one of the best you can get for commercial home safes. After much research, Gardall has some of the best safes that money can buy. Many lock smith shops carry safes. This is where I purchased my first safe, and where I plan on purchasing my second safe. I will be purchasing a 5 ft Gardall with a 2 hr fire rating. It won't be cheap, but replacing my coin set would be more expensive. Check out gardall.com.

 

Yep, for insurance purposes it appears a safe with a 2-hours fire rating is the minimum.

 

Someone else said that on a previous post (or maybe it was you). What insurance company told you that? My insurance (Amica Mutual) doesn't even require me to have a safe. They just require an appraisal of my collection before they cover it.

For what it's worth, I recently ordered a safe from Cannon safe and they told me that fire ratings are based on fires in commercial buildings which tend to reach higher temperatures than residential fires. They told me a one-hour rating is sufficient for a home safe.