THE SHORT ANSWER
Build one versioned item schedule and never overwrite uncertainty
Start with discovery and last-known-safe times. Assign a stable ID to every missing item, then link photographs, invoices, statements, appraisals, marks, serials, packaging and custody records. Record which facts are contemporaneous and which were reconstructed later. Submit controlled copies through verified channels while protecting storage and access secrets.
INCIDENT CHRONOLOGY
Separate what happened, what was observed and what was inferred
ITEM IDENTITY
Transcribe marks and serials; do not improve the description after the fact
Record issuer, product, year, denomination, gross weight, stated fineness, dimensions, serial or assay number, packaging and visible condition. Link each statement to its source. A product catalogue may support expected specifications, but it does not prove the owner possessed that item. Keep model reference data separate from possession evidence.
RECONSTRUCTION RULE
Blank, estimated and conflicting are three different states
If a receipt is missing, mark it missing. If a family member recalls a purchase year, label the source and confidence. If a photograph conflicts with an appraisal, preserve both rather than editing the weaker record. Ready.gov and NAIC recommend inventories, receipts, photographs and appraisals because evidence assembled before a loss is easier to verify; a post-loss reconstruction must show its work.
SECURE SHARING
Give investigators useful identifiers without publishing the security plan
Confirm agency and insurer contact details independently. Share the full property schedule only through their accepted channels. A public notice, if recommended, should omit safe locations, access patterns, alarm design, unpublished household information and documents that enable impersonation. Log every copy, version and recipient.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Insurance-regulator, federal and carrier evidence
- NAIC homeowners and renters guidance and its consumer homeowners resource for valuable-property limits, inventories, appraisals and claim preparation.
- NAIC actual-cash-value and replacement-cost explanation for policy valuation language and depreciation.
- Ready.gov document-and-insure guidance for receipts, photographs, inventories and protected records.
- U.S. Mint bullion consumer awareness for product specifications, premiums and dealer-market context.
Reviewed July 31, 2026. Coverage and claims are controlled by the actual policy, endorsement, jurisdiction and facts. Postal terms and tax law can change; verify the service and use the form and instructions for the incident year.
FAQ
Stolen gold evidence questions
How do I prove stolen gold existed?
Use pre-loss photographs, invoices, payment records, appraisals, inventory exports, vault or carrier statements, serials, packaging and witness records tied to stable item IDs. Preserve originals and metadata.
Should I post serial numbers and storage details publicly?
No. Give complete evidence through verified law-enforcement and insurer channels. Public posts can expose security information, invite false recovery contacts or compromise an investigation.
What if the inventory was created after the theft?
Label it reconstructed, identify every source and preserve uncertainty. Do not present a later family estimate or copied dealer listing as a contemporaneous record.
Should missing and damaged items share one list?
Use one incident master schedule but give every item its own status, evidence, claimed value, recovered condition and settlement allocation.