This being a Milner ‘plate’ safe without fire-resisting lining and chamber plus wooden fitments indicates that it was intended for the protection of jewellery or other precious metal objects.
It is a List 3 Holdfast quality made sometime after 1866 when Milners adopted the anti-wedging blocks around the four sides of the door plate. This idea was originally conceived by a Manchester policeman called Sutcliffe and although Milner was the first to take it up it was subsequently used by other makers mainly Whitfield.
With the subsequent improvements against wedging provided by the development of the four-corner bent body, later Milner List 3 safes dispensed with all but one of these blocks.
