A safe deposit box, sometimes known erroneously as a safety deposit box, is an individually secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions. Safe deposit boxes are used to store valuable possessions, such as gemstones, precious metals, currency, marketable securities, important documents (e.g. wills, property deeds, or birth certificates), or computer data, that need protection from theft, fire, flood, tampering, or other perils.