Primitive/vernacular Half mortise box lock from sea chest

Patrick Sparks

I have what I believe is a sea chest, made of American mahogany. It had a lift lid, two tills, iron hardware, and has a two-strike half-mortise box lock. I am attaching some photos of the chest and the lock.

The lock has a thin iron housing with a copper cover plate over the mechanism, riveted to the iron housing. inside I can see a spiral spring. There are two little blocks of wood almost like shims between the copper cover plate and the iron housing. These pieces of wood appear to be a tropical hardwood, not mahogany.

Can anyone advise on possible age and origin?

Brian Morland MLA Hon

Its one of those items that needs to be ‘seen in the flesh’ as it were, but from the pictures it does seem blacksmith made and early, 18th centry or before. The lock itself, both the style and the use of the non ferrous cap, has its roots in Europe from those features… I assume the lid and compartmennts are missing? What makes you think its a sea chest - could also be a school ‘tuck box’?

Patrick Sparks

Brian Morland wrote
Its one of those items that needs to be ‘seen in the flesh’ as it were, but from the pictures it does seem blacksmith made and early, 18th century or before. The lock itself, both the style and the use of the non ferrous cap, has its roots in Europe from those features… I assume the lid and compartments are missing? What makes you think its a sea chest - could also be a school ‘tuck box’?

Thank you, Brian. Yes, the lid and the tills were missing when I got it. It has had quite a bit of exposure to moisture and probably salts, judging from the severe pitting on the lift handles. I guess the reason I thought ‘sea chest’ was because of the very deep and smooth wear patterns on two corners, as if regularly lashed down with rope, always in the same way. No other reason.

The housing of the lock is very thin and has some significant rust…in some places through the thickness, so I am thinking i may have to replace it. Or, is something like this ‘restorable’ at all?

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