Burying Precious Metals (Midnight Gardening)

Hello there, fellow metalites! 

I am trying to garner some information on burying my precious metals. It's got to the point where the safe is full, and I'm not keen to tell an insurance company how much shiny stuff I have in my house. Now, I am lucky in that my parents have a reasonably large garden out in the sticks. They have said I can bury it there, as my house is on an estate and about 20 homes would be privy to my activities, as a number of houses have a line of sight to my garden. 

I have done some research online, but am more enthused hearing if anyone has first hand experience here. I'm currently thinking of a time capsule, or similar, and then adding a couple of additional layers of protection from the elements, while also avoiding anything that might cause something akin to PVC damage through chemical release over time (I plan for this to be buried for years, at least, probably decades). Any thoughts on how best to seal and insulate would be gratefully received. 

I am also thinking of burying small pieces of metal all around where I plan to plant the mother-load to throw would-be thieves off the scent. If anyone also has any ideas, in the exceptionally unlikely event a detectorist breaks into my folks' garden while also having the time to dig 6 feet underground unnoticed, on how to approach this, I'm all ears! 

Thank you in advance for any help or guidance you're able to give, and wishing you all well.

I would not do that personally. Although I do like the sounds and thoughts of it... I once considered it...

But you have floor boards, you can put a save easily under a floor board and that is it sealed. Having the right safe to do that with is important. If you need to perhaps consider buying some bars.

I wont say what my set up is but it mixes in with another long time hobby of mine...... So it is fairly safe. And my insurance company does know the value. As does my financial advisor... but thats another story as I have most of my actual gold and silver vaulted.

So burring it hmmmm I would look at what is really available to you.

@Admin

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here, Admin. The house is another option. I have pondered installing a floor safe under, say, the fridge, or something akin to this tact. I'd need to get someone to install a floor safe, or at least take the concrete out, and I'd not be happy with that. Drilling my current safe into the floor was hectic enough, and almost required professional assistance (alas, I am feeble when it comes to DIY). To me, though, burying just seems, by far, the safest option, as long as I can keep the environment the coins and bars are stored free from moisture and the like. Perhaps I've misjudged this though, in which case I'm very open to alternative options such as a second safe.

barnsaby wrote:@Admin

Thank you for sharing your thoughts here, Admin. The house is another option. I have pondered installing a floor safe under, say, the fridge, or something akin to this tact. I'd need to get someone to install a floor safe, or at least take the concrete out, and I'd not be happy with that. Drilling my current safe into the floor was hectic enough, and almost required professional assistance (alas, I am feeble when it comes to DIY). To me, though, burying just seems, by far, the safest option, as long as I can keep the environment the coins and bars are stored free from moisture and the like. Perhaps I've misjudged this though, in which case I'm very open to alternative options such as a second safe.

Please do not let me deter you from putting your valuables in the ground. I have just never seen a successful attempt. The problem lies with the following.

How deep?
What vessel to use to keep it completely dry and safe from the weight.
will you remember or will those who need to know ... know where it is when the time comes.


Me personally I started off training firearms ( yes ironic as I was also a paramedic ) with my local firearms club here in England. And then I assisted with training the police at the time, often using some military bases etc. I realised quickly that I needed a room for my firearms, As my collection grew, ( required firearms to have ) So did security. So mine was set up with the help of the police firearms officers.

The best bit of advice I was given was the following.
Bolt everything to the floor, wall and if possible 2 walls. IE a corner. My safes were large and so I was able to do that and bolt them together as well.

Use fake walls, and if you do not have the ability use a fake unit See link https://blackwoodandlocke.co.uk/gun-cabinets/

Some things are hidden in plain sight but good luck trying to get access to them!! I always suggest to ANY new stacker to buy what I told my boys to buy. Here is a link to their small safes.. Which they now need to upgrade. https://www.gdkoutdoors.co.uk/product/large-ammunition-safe-ammo/

If you manage to fill one of these up, you should consider something larger AND fireproof and water proof!!! This is when the money starts to flow... I have something along the lines like this... not this exact product but you get the idea. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D94NY6J?tag=rainer981-20


Finally If your collection is growing and your collecting boxes and boxes... consider a BOX for the safe. IE a monster box where you can stack your bullion nicely. If you have tubes of say maples... enough to fill several monster boxes.. than look into investing into gold. If you have that much gold why are you burrying it in your garden!

I get that all silver and gold will not come in a pretty bow and space is a premium. But if you have boxes for proofs like I do, keep them in a seperate larger hidden safe, and the normal bullion you have put that into a small safe or consider moving into a bit of gold. OR send it to me and I will melt your milky stuff down into kilo bars! Seriously though I do that.... LOL




I do not want you to post what you have... as I wont post what i have... But when I started it was because I was involved in a life changing RTC. I broke my spine and the money I received went into bullion. At that time I did not really know too much. But I bought it when gold was a fraction!!!! of what it is now and Silver was under the £10 mark!!!!! just to give you a idea. And yes I bought a lot! I then asked the company where I can store it.. They suggested a Vault in london. And yes it costs me a lot of money yearly as they do audits and I keep adding to it... But because of costs I make sure it is enough to be added at any given time. I am not sure where you are in your stacking journey, but if your at the stage of a vaulting service... and If I were to do it all over again.. I might have just bought a lot more gold. However I am in a win win situation now. LOL well my kids are when I pass.

So good luck. If your container is that big you need to burry it in your garden YIKES. If it is a tin sized can ... Get a safe as mentioned above... it can be your best investment.. Just keep both keys seperate!!!!! IE give one to your lawyer for your will

@Admin

This is a truly outstanding selection of advice; thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. It was interesting hearing that you've never heard of it being done successfully, and, I suppose, this is my greatest fear. Doing it wrong and ruining some of my stack would be a disaster. And while I'd only be burying bullion, not numismatics, some damage to the metal wouldn't be the end of the world, I think most of us would agree that "metal is metal" just isn't necessarily the case. 

Now, your point about a false wall, this is the sort of thing that piques my interest substantially, as did the idea of a safe bolted into the corner of a room. I have also toyed with the idea of a 'dummy' safe. Indeed, I have a very prominent display at home, with a host of cheap proof sets and other low value coins, with the slight hope any potential thieves would grab and go. 

This is all excellent food for thought though, and I will continue to ponder and reflect in light of your superb pointers and help. Thanks again!

barnsaby wrote:@Admin

This is a truly outstanding selection of advice; thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. It was interesting hearing that you've never heard of it being done successfully, and, I suppose, this is my greatest fear. Doing it wrong and ruining some of my stack would be a disaster. And while I'd only be burying bullion, not numismatics, some damage to the metal wouldn't be the end of the world, I think most of us would agree that "metal is metal" just isn't necessarily the case. 

Now, your point about a false wall, this is the sort of thing that piques my interest substantially, as did the idea of a safe bolted into the corner of a room. I have also toyed with the idea of a 'dummy' safe. Indeed, I have a very prominent display at home, with a host of cheap proof sets and other low value coins, with the slight hope any potential thieves would grab and go. 

This is all excellent food for thought though, and I will continue to ponder and reflect in light of your superb pointers and help. Thanks again!

Happy to give some advice and my views. What ever you do I wish you luck. It will be a Big choice going to either extremes.

It's a lot more work hiding silver, if you are set on burying it in your garden there are videos on Youtube about how to make airtight capsules out of plumbing pipe that keep out moisture etc.
Far easier to hide gold, just take a tube of sovereigns and duck tape them to where your wall meets the ceiling and fit some plaster coving over it, nobody is ever finding that.

@Rod Panhard

Now that is a good idea there! Simplicity often trumps all, made easier by gold's tiny size. Thank you for sharing. I'll hit up a YouTube session too this weekend.

I read the title and was thinking about an underground bunker of some sort. But a time capsule would be cool to do.

I'll look after anybody's gold for them. We could meet up at a service station somewhere and you could hand it over. No receipts given, no name and address details supplied = total security. What could possibly go wrong?

@MisterNoName

That would be a few levels up from my desires here. A popular choice for our American cousins, of course! Not sure how my parents would react to me building a bunker under their house. Maybe they'd be happy?! 


@The Cat's Mother

Perfect, let's do that with all my gold, then the silver I'll bury, and make sure I post the exact coordinates here just in case I forget where it is, then I can just ask! 

@barnsaby

@barnsaby just have the co-ordinates tattooed somewhere that will only be seen when they're preparing the body. Just bear in mind to have a mirror image tattooed for ease of reading it yourself when you need a reminder.

Be conservative, rent a safe + insurance and sleep well.
This is an advice from 63 years old man with over 30 years
in precious metals business. good luck.

That's the sensible voice of wisdom  @AGMETALS . I was sort of hoping that  @barnsaby would see the benefits of my suggestion though. Sadly, he never took me up on it.  

@AGMETALS
Thank you for sharing your sentiments. I am a little wary of telling insurance companies what I have and where, just due to the chances of data breeches these days. However, it is the simplest option, and tempting on a number of levels.

@barnsaby , are data breeches where you keep your wallet?

@The Cat's Mother

Haha, almost! But, seriously, I have a passionate hatred of all large, commercial entities. Hence my desire to do this solo, without the need to tell any of these amoral institutions what I have in my safe. This being said, I understand that this is somewhat cynical and I, in all likelihood, need to stop being such an overt pessimist.

@barnsaby I'm less concerned about their morals than their competence, and their cost-cutting habits that leave the data that they hold vulnerable to outside attention. Having said that, I'm not averse to a bit of cynical pessimism myself - I'm rarely disappointed and occasionally get a nice surprise.

barnsaby wrote:@AGMETALS
Thank you for sharing your sentiments. I am a little wary of telling insurance companies what I have and where, just due to the chances of data breeches these days. However, it is the simplest option, and tempting on a number of levels.

My insurance company knows I am a collector and has a limit of a Single Item.. limit. But not on how many reach that limit.

Say 100g gold bar. Say £5,500 My cap might be 6000 But I could have them in a safe and have 40 of them. I am covered.

BUT.......

Make sure you have a overall cover on your policy too. And ensure that it is separate from Jewellery.

This is why I am forced to use a vaulting service once I hit X limit.