Verifying Antique Keys

Hey all,

Totally new here. Wondering if anyone has experience with identifying antique iron skeleton keys vs vintage remakes.

A lot of people claiming authentic old 18th and 19th century keys. Here is an example. Italian from the 19th century. I am skeptical.

 

Here is another. Wrought iron from France .

 

I'm posting them here full size because a lot of us don't like clicking on links.
My husband has been a locksmith for 52 years. He believes they're decorative. It may be the photos, but there doesn't look like any wear on them.

 

We have some old keys. The other thing you can do is contact the Lock Museum in Tarrytown, CT

 

You are amazing! So cool! Thank you, I’ll have to figure out how to add images. I’m really wanting to find an actual large used antique key. The internet is absolutely flooded with decorative pieces claiming to be something they are not.

 

That big hand forged gate lock you see in my photo actually has two keys. One goes in the keyhole you can see which opens that flap and the second one opens the lock. It's like anything else. Unless you've had a chance to handle originals, whether it's glass or china or furniture, it's hard to tell if it's real.

 

At the top of this Antique Discussion page is a helpful hint post that you should read to get started.

 

I gave that up a long time ago. EVERYONE calls them skeleton keys. LOL. If you call them bit or post keys people have no idea what you're talking about. It's easier to go with the flow. Your locks go back a bit further than ours, too! We see tons of new Chinese and Indian stuff here lately. Padlocks especially are being made to look old.

 

True, I come across genuine antique keys all the time. Sometimes I buy them, hoping they will fit one of my boxes or chests.

 

If all else fails, you can resell the ones that don't fit. Here in the USA all sorts of people want keys like that for the same reason.

 

Those 2 keys look right, though the one has been excessively cleaned. Most fakes are not as precisely made as these two are. Here are some typical fakes.

 

I managed to buy a job lot of antique keys, about 400, more than half were box size keys. The larger keys are in the workshop rusting 90% of the boxes I own now have working locks with keys but never lock an antique piece while closed, if he lock doesn't open or breaks then you are in a whole world of pain, the amount of boxes I've seen that have damage because of the lock failing or a lost key is huge.

 

It's a pity that Victorian boxes don't use these beautiful keys (picture 1) rather these boring keys in (picture 2) Picture 3 is the box size keys I have left after 80 or so keys have found a box partner.

 

We have some containers full that look like this.

 

I think the 2nd key opens up lock # 25 ..... Heehehe!!!!

 

I have found a few skeleton keys at sales. I have a few still. In fact I have a shoe box of keys from an estate sale, but I am too lazy to go thru them all. For awhile people were going rustic for Valentine's Day and would use the old keys as gifts or worn as matching necklaces.

 

I wear an old bronze/brass one as a pendant, but it's a Santa Fe RR switch key from a friend. The lock melted in a WWII scrap drive, but in the day eBay wouldn't let them be sold just in case someone got nefarious ideas.