Safe Deposit Box, Recovered
Photo credit: 9/11 Memorial staff
Accession Number: C.2012.598.1
Dimensions: 2.438 in X 4.68 in X 21 in
Dimensions (Metric): 6.19252 cm X 11.8872 cm X 53.34 cm
Credit Line: Gift of Eric T. Bolling
Description
Recovered safe deposit box, heavily damaged by smoke and heat. The contents of the box are blackened and brittle.
Historical Notes
Safe deposit boxes at World Trade Center banks, such as this one from the concourse branch of Chase Bank, were presumed destroyed in the attacks. Many were found intact months later. Owners who retrieved their boxes found that the contents had suffered varying degrees of damage. Some currency and paper documents were merely charred, while others were completely destroyed. In addition to personal valuables stored in banks at the World Trade Center, an estimated $200 million worth of gold and silver was held by the Bank of Nova Scotia in a vault beneath 4 World Trade Center.