It has been nearly 3 months since I last visited my safe deposit box ... admittedly, an unusually long amount of time between visits! I could put it off no longer, so today it was time to make the trek to the bank with the small hoard built up over the previous months. I was kind of depressed when I returned home with an empty coin box. However, there is always one waiting in the wings ... For those with safe deposit boxes, how long do you normally go between visits?
David, it is always sad to deposit one's coins in an institution like a bank. I usually visit about once a month. Sometimes I rotate my collection. I will leave some coins and take others home.
I share your sadness, having just moved my entire collection thousands of miles. The coins are now in a bank's safe deposit box. I'll be separated from them until closer to the end of the year, when I hope to move back to the land of reliable electricity, inexpensive groceries, and good customer service . Once moved, I suspect I'll be at the bank every week or more.
I try to go every couple of weeks, but a recent promotion, the training involved with it, and a new work location has wrecked havoc with my established routines. I've had the week off, so things are hopefully settling back to 'normal'.
I have some of my collection in a safe deposit box. However I always photograph them upon arrival. So I can't hold them in hand, but still get to appreciate the pictures.
That's got to be tough. Being separated from that Domitian serpent diobol would indeed be quite painful.
I was always curious about safe deposit boxes and ones coin collection. I don't have a safe deposit box. I guess it would depend on the collections value and the neighborhood you live in. I for one, like looking at and evaluating my collection on a regular basis. A safe deposit box would be a hassle for me. I'd be down at the bank ever other day!
I'm in the suburbs, but thieves are quite mobile! The treat of fire or 'acts of God' are concerns as well. Plus, I like the peace of mind of the coins being stored in a climatically stable environment.
I'm not happy about it either, but I'm going to be moving to my mom's house and it is not very secure plus it is at high risk for fire and tornadoes.
Yes, I guess it depends on many variables, your location, your environment, the type of security you have, storage space, etc...
You could opt for a nice home safe. With a collection the size of yours I think it is easily justifiable.
Yep, exactly! There have been discussions here of high risk areas of the country!... New Orleans floods for one. Forget the house, car and kids.........protect those coins!! : ) Do you think a bank is going to protect the contents of it's safe deposit boxes during a flood, earthquake, tornado's, etc..? I don't know, I think I'd rather have my fate in my own hands in that situation.
I did inquire about the construction of the bank's vault and there is no doubt that it is far more likely to survive a tornado or fire than the house where I'll be. Neither is a flood risk. Having been through two category 5 hurricanes in 2017 (200+ mph winds at my home!) , I can say that trying to move my coins around to safe areas was a HUGE hassle and source of unwanted stress.
It's usually several months between my visits to the SDB - I always mean to go more often, but where the coins are stored is difficult for me to get to during the week. Now that I'm reminded of it, I'll try to get there on Saturday and get some things out to photograph.
It will be good to have you back in the land of not too bad Texmex and BBQ. I hope to see you at one or more coin shows in the next year or so. We can wear crack-em-out shirts. I always go for bank boxes on the top row. Even where flooding is not an issue, water from fire fighting could be an issue. I go to my bank box when I want to find a coin for "study". More like to hold and drool. I go there before trips or when my at home stash is too big. My last trip was to find a voting coin. I want a pic of this one: With a recent purchase: I have two voting coins still in the mail. I will post the set when they arrive.
Along this topic, I just read this sobering article from the NY Times about the state of safe deposit boxes in the US... https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/business/safe-deposit-box-theft.html
When your bank sends you a letter, read it carefully before pitching it and assuming it is another spam credit card offer. It seems your bank itself is the biggest risk to the contents of your un-safe deposit box...
That is so scary! I can't keep the coins at the current house in Texas... it is too risky. I knew that contents of safe deposit boxes aren't protected from loss but have been trying not to think about that because it is the best option I have at the moment .