parautopic lock key? on ebay

Riyame

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Large-Complex-Brass-Steel-Key-Vtg-Old-Antique-Stacked-Safe-Vault-Gate-Prison-3-3-/130978869984

[upl-image-preview uuid=6c024d7e-cf41-4f23-96b4-b9bd78dbf49a url= alt=ebaykey1.jpg thumbnail_url=https://cdn.antique-locks.com/2026-07-21/1784675975-329213-ebaykey1-thumb.webp]

Brian Morland MLA Hon

Not sure if the term ‘parautoptic’ is correct, I think this is a key for an Andrews lock c1841. This is a page from The Construction of locks describing it, vertualy the same text also appears in Prices Treatise page 444. Sadly neither book illustrates the lock. I’m sure I have seen pictures somewhere - I will keep looking, unless someone finds a picture first…

jason0389

You can see a picture of the lock here:

http://mysite.verizon.net/monraet/changebit.html

From the book The Lure of The Lock.

Looks like an Andrews key to me as well.

Riyame

Ah, you learn something every day. I saw a key like it in Graham Pulfords book so that is why I added the ? to the title. I had no idea there were so many different kinds.

Paul Prescott

Solomon Andrews for sure. I did have some pictures of the locks at one time as I saw a few while I was in the US.

Syd Waterman

Brian Morland wrote
Not sure if the term ‘parautoptic’ is correct, I think this is a key for an Andrews lock c1841. This is a page from The Construction of locks describing it, vertualy the same text also appears in Prices Treatise page 444. Sadly neither book illustrates the lock. I’m sure I have seen pictures somewhere - I will keep looking, unless someone finds a picture first…

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8271[/ATTACH]

Additional information on Solomon Andrews’s Bank lock can be found in “American Genius” published by The Quantuck Lane Press.
Patent

[unknown]

Adrian Weber

So many different locks that is true! Thanks for adding the information guys 🙂-: