Safe deposit box

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A safe deposit box (sometimes called a safety deposit box) is a type of safe usually located in groups inside a bank vault or in the back of a bank or post office. It usually holds things such as valuable gemstones, precious metals, currency, or important documents such as wills or property deeds that a person might feel afraid to leave at home due to fear of theft, fire, flood, tampering or other reasons. In the typical arrangement, a renter pays the bank a fee for the use of the box, which can be opened only with production of the assigned key, the bank's master key, the proper signature, or perhaps a code of some sort. Additionally, some banks are using biometric security to complement the already increased security procedures.

Safe deposit boxes serve as plot devices in works of fiction, particularly thrillers and mysteries. For example, in The Da Vinci Code, Inside Man and The Bourne Identity, sections of the storyline revolve around control of a safe deposit box.

[edit] See also

• Numbered bank account
• Swiss bank