Help! Do you know what this actually locks, the value and the age???

qualmer

I found this lock in the trash. The people that had this lock lived in Ireland for 4 years. There are no markings/letters/numbers on this lock. This is all I know about it. Would like to know what it actually locks, the value of it, and it’s age. Thanks for any help!

Dean Nickel

As for what it was use to lockup I couldn’t say, maybe anything. It is a unusual barb lock in that it has a hex body and the key is a loop. That is two things I haven’t seen before, but then I am not an expert on this type of lock. Age will be tough to pin down as that type of lock has been made I think for 400-600 years maybe longer but the metal type and construction would suggest that it is made in the last 100-250 years. Value could be hard to pin down and I will leave that to others.

Paul Prescott

It’s a screw key padlock. Still being made in India / Middle east today.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

I would agree with Dean that your lock was probably produced somewhere between 100 and 250 years ago. The mechanism is called a barbed spring and dates back to before people were thinking of dates. Said to have been invented by the Chineese, it has been produced around the world. The work on your makes me think of Germany and it certainly isn’t the poor quality seen coming out of Pakistan and India for the last 20 years. Most of the lock of that type I have seen with the stylization shown in the key were from Iran and many years ago they also produced quality products. So now you have my swag on it. :-)
BBE.

Scott Klemm

As Dean and BBE already stated, this type of mechanism dates all the way back to ancient China and Rome. I found a picture very similar to yours in Schloß & Schlüssel /I. It’s date from the 16th - 18th century, and is described as wrought iron with traces of bronzing. I copied the picture so you can compare it with yours.
Scott