For some reason I always get the image of some government...

For some reason I always get the image of some government bureaucrat sprawled out sitting on the floor of a vault, a pile of empty safety deposit boxes on one side of him and a pile of silver and gold on the other while he's trying to jimmy open the next one with a screwdriver to get a few more ounces.

If the government ever saw precious metals as a threat they would simply increase taxes on it to discourage investment or nationalise mines. Not enough citizens own precious metals to bother with confiscation.