desired details on safes

stephane

Hi guys, just come back from England after a 2 years of forced diet due do this damned covid ! by chance the exchange is still easy with the Uk. After a great trip and once again great encounters i found some safes and need some details as year of manufacture etc..
a big Ratner #53721
a small Ratner #29849
a small thomas withers (photo attached)
a small hobbs (photo attached)
a surprising discover in the hidden space under the drawer of the small Ratner : a lot of coins from england, france and greece. and several coupons stamped “ministry of pensions 1921” absolutely no idea what they are.
the hobbs have a big restoration potential so i probably go on an original paint research. original photos welcome.
thanks in advance

safeman

stephane wrote
Hi guys, just come back from England after a 2 years of forced diet due do this damned covid ! by chance the exchange is still easy with the Uk. After a great trip and once again great encounters i found some safes and need some details as year of manufacture etc..
a big Ratner #53721
a small Ratner #29849
a small thomas withers (photo attached)
a small hobbs (photo attached)

Great to hear from you again Stephane. Ratner 53721 is 1936/7. Number 29849 is 1914/15. One way to tell the Grade is by the thickness at the edge of the door plate. A Grade 2 Fire-Resisting has a ½“ thich door, the Grade 3 Thief Resistant with anti-explosive relocker has a ⅞” door, and the Grade 4 has a 1″ door.
The Thos.Withers bears the Govt. arrow mark and would have been for a Post Office or Armed Service.
The Hobbs is quite interesting as like the Tann M.M. List 2a Quality had the body formed without seams at the sides by being bent from a single wrought iron plate. I’ll try and attach some illustrations for you.

For colour. From 1884 catalogue.

Best wishes … John.

[unknown]

stephane

thanks Safeman for this very desired details.

stephane

Bonsoir John. Forgot a small ratner for year of manufacture ! #30314
do you know if there is serial number somewhere for the Hobbs ? I do not have scrap it but nothing evident stamped as others safes !?
Thanks in advance

safeman

stephane wrote
Bonsoir John. Forgot a small ratner for year of manufacture ! #30314
do you know if there is serial number somewhere for the Hobbs ? I do not have scrap it but nothing evident stamped as others safes !?
Thanks in advance

Morning Stephane,

Hobbs serial numbers are usually stamped on one of the bolts. If fitted with clutch bolts the bolts will have to be withdrawn for the number to be visible. The only other place it could be is on the edge of the door plate but this is sometimes the weight in hundredweights . quarters . pounds.
From the date around 1884 the number should be around 10,000

Bye for now… John.

[unknown]