Metal Plates vs Paper Cards: Durability for Long-Term Storage

When households plan for asset continuity measured in decades, the backup medium matters as much as the location. Paper cards shipped with hardware wallets are adequate for initial setup. They are not adequate for storage intended to outlast the person who wrote them.

Paper Degradation

Ink fades. Paper yellows. Lamination traps moisture. Households storing paper backups in humid Korean summers — particularly in basements or exterior-wall closets — report illegibility within ten to fifteen years. We have seen clients bring faded cards to consultations where three words were no longer readable.

Metal Plate Advantages

Stamped or engraved metal plates resist fire to higher temperatures than most home safes provide. They do not absorb moisture. Legibility persists for decades if stored dry. The trade-off is cost (₩40,000 to ₩120,000 per plate) and the need for a stamping tool or professional engraving service.

Hybrid Approach

Many households we work with maintain both: a paper card in the home safe for quick reference and a metal plate in a bank deposit box for long-term durability. The location index records which medium is at which location so successors do not search the wrong container type.

Documentation Regardless of Medium

Whether you choose paper, metal, or both, the location index should note the medium type at each storage point. A successor opening a safe expecting a paper envelope will waste time if the backup is a steel plate bolted to the safe floor.

For help mapping multiple storage locations and media types, see our Planning Records page or book a continuity session.