Need help identifying this very unique key

maintainer56

I owned and operated my own locksmith shop for more than 25 years and have been a lock collector longer than that. I recently purchased a large lock collection which included this key. The major details and notes about the surface can be seen in the photo. This is a brass hollow post key. Believe it or not, The tip has a metal tubular insert which has ten rows of dimple cuts running the full length of the inside surface! Never seen anything like it. As you can see from the handwritten notes in the photo, ADT with an arrow pointing to the bow is stamped on the blade next to the removable steel insert on the blade. Like to know what it was used for and the value.

Tom Gordon

ADT are an alarm company and I suspect that this is a night watchman’s key

peerless

It certainly a watchman’s key, but it’s construction is more like a lock than a true key. There are a series of pins arranged to fit a key “blade” that is housed within a wall mounted station measuring about 6-½″ square and about 3″ deep. A VERY ingenious design. I have seen prices for those keys range between 10-100 dollars. I have never seen a station in person, I would LOVE to own one if I ever had the opportunity, as I already have a key.

Are you goin’ to “Indy” this year?

–Vince

maintainer56

peerless wrote
It certainly a watchman’s key, but it’s construction is more like a lock than a true key. There are a series of pins arranged to fit a key “blade” that is housed within a wall mounted station measuring about 6-½″ square and about 3″ deep. A VERY ingenious design. I have seen prices for those keys range between 10-100 dollars. I have never seen a station in person, I would LOVE to own one if I ever had the opportunity, as I already have a key.

Are you goin’ to “Indy” this year?

–Vince

Thanks Vince. Yes. I’ll be in Indy. I’ll bring the key with me. It appears that this key will separate into at least 4 pieces not including the pins and spring that are inside the blade on the key. This had to be a vey expensive system. I wonder what type of facility would have used this?

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