Can anyone identify this key?

Keycollector

Hi, I’m new to the Forum and wonder if anyone can give me some info on this key? It is about 12 cms long and has a ‘double barrel’ - the top is hollow, while the bottom barrel is about 2 cms long and has indentations on both sides. There is then a further pin protuding from the bottom of the second barrel. Any ideas on its purpose, age etc? Thanks!

Brian Morland MLA Hon

Interesting key. At first glance its looking Georgian in style, any chance of an end on picture.

Keycollector

Thanks Brian. Not the easiest key to photograph but I’ve tried another pic. The top barrel is hollow, the second barrell is open at both ends and has notches in each side and underneath that is a sort of ‘tongue’ piece.

Keycollector

Picture attached this time!

Dean Nickel

To help you in getting a pic of this or anything odd shaped you might try to place a bit of clay or other soft material on top of a full water bottle. Then place the key in the soft material so that is balances on top and that way you can turn it and get the end of the key and the side from different angles. Just make sure that it isn’t sticky to the point that it may come off on the key.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

I’ll take a chance and see if anyone can make a better guess than I can. :-)

I would guess the key was produced in the very late 1700’s or some time in the 1800’s. Because it has a shoulder near the operating end of the key I will suggest that it was a key for a cabinet, chest or possibly a closet. A key with no stop would allow inserting the key through a door from one side without obstruction.

The top part as shown in the picture is called the post and in your csae a drilled post. These keys are sometimes called drilled keys, or pipe keys and sometimes called barrel keys, depending on where you live. The round part below that and the projection from it are called the bit and the places that have been cut away in the bit are called ward cuts. They exist to allow the key to bypass obstructions inside the lock so that the key may be turned to make contact with and throw the bolt of the lock. The reason the round part of the bit is hollow indicates that there may have been an obstruction to prevent insertion of a key without it and that obstruction would have moved with the key when it was turned.

It is a very nice key and looks to be in very good condition. From the general appearance I would also guess it is made of malleable iron. Hope that helps.
BBE.

Brian Morland MLA Hon

A key that fits over a drill pin is generally known as a pipe key in the UK. The second barrel of the key and the lower beard is simply revealed as the shape of the keyhole and the cuts in the web of the key would pass internal wards. The ruler suggests this key is about 140mm (51/2″) which would indicate a door lock rather than a chest or furniture lock, albeit single sided operation. Possibly a store or lockup.

More importantly is the provenance. Did you acquire it in auz, do you know what building it came off. Not sure it would have been made in auz, its very typical English. Very often we acquire artefacts not knowing the context in which they were found. This is a very handsome key albeit somewhat deteriorated. Most collectors would have this in a collection if only as a marker whilst waiting for a nicer specimen to turn up, however despite its condition if in had some hard provenance linking it to a place, time or event that fact alone could increase its desirability in a collection.

Having said all that it is a very impressive key of a type typical from pre Industrial revolution times and continued to be made well into the Victorian era. The flatish form of the wire bow might be a clue to more precise dating….

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Would you agree Brian that the lock was also likely a latch and not a deadlock? I notice that the ward cuts in what you called the barrel aren’t present on both sides indicating that the key is turned clockwise to unlock but not a full revolution.
BBE.

Brian Morland MLA Hon

Well spotted BBE, more likely its just decoration. Many keys of the period had features where no corresponding feature could be found in the lock. A complicated key would look formidable compared to the simplicity of the corresponding skeleton key. A bit like the common Victorian practice of marking ‘Patent’ on a lock where on examination no patent feature can found.

Tom Gordon

I would have thought it continental rather than English, the bow, the turnings and the bit all seem “foreign” to me
Cheers
Tom

Brian Denyer

I have a Paracentric beard type of key such as this, and with the original surface
mounted lock it operates with a deadbolt.
Alot of the older georgian wire bow keys have built in decorative cuts to throw off attempts at sight reading. Some of these style of keys date from the 1840’s and earlier.
Altough one 6 incher dates from WW2, with a massive barrel diameter.
Most of the keys I have are cast iron with the beard brazed on afterwards.

Brian ………………………………………….

Doug MacQueen

I know nothing about the key pictured but the turnings on it are extremely similiar to those on this warded barrel key which I just repaired. The blade was broken off and was reattached with silver solder. I have not seen the safe in person but it is a hobnail style that is still in use here in the US. Do you think it may have been by the same maker or just coincidence.