Metal detecting question please answer!!!!

T

treasurehunter101

Sr. Member
Jan 14, 2014
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NY AREA
Detector(s) used
Learned on Bounty Hunter Junior, then Tracker IV, and now using the Fisher F2
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

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It's hard to pinpoint the keys exact use as similar keys were used for different things. It could be a clock winder, the key to a small chest or box, or just about anything that was locked or wound. It would probably date to the time period your house was built in.
 

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The key work is "key." Other than that you probably will never pin it down to what it unlocked, there are a number of choices that have been noted, take your pick.
 

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Treasurehunter101 wrote:
> I thought it was a skeleton key but it's really small it's only 1 1/2 inches.

The term "skeleton key" refers to the key's form/shape... not its size. I've seen skeleton keys range in size from 1-inch long to 8-inches long.

As Fyrffytr1 indicates, skeleton keys were used for a wide variety of lock types... so they can be difficult to get a specific identity for.

Because your skeleton key is small (only 1.5-inches long, including its ring-shaped handle), it is for a small and "shallow-bodied" lock. Your key's unusually thick shaft indicates it is for a lock that required more than a slight amount of force to unlock. Indoors cabinet locks and drawer locks are shallow-bodied, but need very little key-twisting force to unlock. So, I think your key is "most probably" for a small-ish padlock or trunk-lock.

About dating your key:
Skeleton keys were for a very-old version of lock called a Lever Lock. That type of lock fell out of favor in the 1940s, when it was superceded by the an improvement known as a Tumbler Lock.) To learn about the difference ion how those two basic types of locks worked, you can look the names up on Wikipedia.) So, your key is probably from no later than the 1940s, and could even be a century older. However, as Fyrffytr1 also indicated, because you say you found it in your house's yard it is very likely to be from sometime between the year your house was built, into the 1940s.
 

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Just for some reference to what Skeleton Key look like and some of the uses.

In the bottom row these types of keys would have been used for doors and gates and such...
Longer shafts to reach through the doors.

The middle row keys were used mostly for cabinets, drawers and such...
Shorter shafts to reach through the lighter wood of a cabinet or drawer.

On the top row...
The left four keys were for padlocks. Which I feel yours is.
The short shank to the ridge on the shaft and beefy shanks show they were for a shallow lock only had to go through the metal side.

The next keys in the top row are clock winders and the last smallest key on the right is a watch winder.
Most of the clock and watch winders have round shafts with square center holes and some have a square end to grip the spring shaft.

With out a lock of some sort it is just a guess as to what old keys went to.
I'm sure you have a few modern tumbler keys lying around that you don't know what they went to.

Dating your key..
Best guess is with other finds that were in the same area and depth.
I would put it in the early 1900's

hope this helps

HH
IMG_0935.JPG
 

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...and for a really fun story, don't forget about handcuff keys from that time period.

Could be an interesting story!

Screen Shot 2014-04-04 at 1.24.57 PM.png
 

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