Greetings all.
I found this site while trying to do some research on a lock that I got a while back. I collect antique US Military firearms, and got this lock from a guy that I was buying a couple of muskets from. He was a collector of Civil War relics, and was selling off much of his collection due to age and poor health.
As a collector, I know there are counterfeits, fakes and fantasy pieces out there, and some are extremely well done. The seller did not represent this lock as anything special, and tossed it into the deal for a small sum.
I would like to know the thoughts/opinions of folks who collect antique locks.
I had contacted an antique lock dealer, and this was his response to the photos:
"Your lock is by Harper and is a stock lock. Harper was a large manufacturer of locks in England and their locks were imported into the U.S. in large quantities during the early and mid-1800’s. They simply used them where they needed locks and have no more significance than that. It looks like someone stamped the information on the lock when it was removed from the prison to keep a record of where it had been.
That’s about all the information I can give you."
The stamping on the lock reads:
CONFEDERATE STATES MILITARY PRISON
ANDERSONVILLE
LOCK FROM NORTH GATE OF STOCKADE
1861-1865
I already know the prison was not open in 1861, and that the CSA referred to it as Camp Sumter, but it was referred to as Andersonville by the troops held there. The wood definitely looks to be period correct, and the lock itself is period, so really the origin is the main question. What do you guys think ? The lock is deceptively larger than it looks in the photos, and there is a ruler to show scale. Thanks in advance.
