London Silver Vaults

The entrance to the present day London Silver Vaults

The London Silver Vaults opened as The Chancery Lane Safe Deposit in 1876. Originally renting out strong rooms to hold household silver, jewellery and documents, it transitioned to housing silver dealers in secure premises a few years later. It is located on Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1QS.[1] One vault was used to store a farthing, with the owner paying over GB£100 over the years for the vault.[2]

With 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) thick walls lined with steel, the vaults were never broken into. The building above the vaults was struck directly with a bomb during World War II – however this did not damage the vaults at all,[2] despite the building being destroyed. A new building, Chancery House, was constructed ten years later,[3] and since 1953 it has been in its present format,[1] with shops based underground. All of the shops have been owned for at least 50 years by the same families. It said that it has "the largest single collection of silver for sale in the world",[2] contained within more than forty shops.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "History of the Vaults – The London Silver Vaults". Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "Subterranea of Great Britain: London Silver Vaults". Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  3. 1 2 "The London Silver Vaults – David Shure". Retrieved 2009-09-27.

External links

Coordinates: 51°31′03″N 0°06′46″W / 51.5175°N 0.1129°W / 51.5175; -0.1129

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