Old Keys and a nail?

[TheTh3rd]

Was fossil hunting and stumbled on these inside a very rusty tin can. Any ideas? Are the keys silver or even old?

 

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[DigIron2]

That is the first key cache I have ever heard of,that is pretty neat.Not sure how to date old skeleton keys but someone should be able to help you out. I don't think they are silver,unless the can they where in caused them to rust like that?.Cool find

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice key(s) find! The third one down is vey interesting.

 

[coinman123]

Never heard of that kind of cache, the keys are before 1940 most likely and are very cool looking.

 

[trdking]

I would say metal (Iron) anywhere from the 1830's to 1930's Big range I know.
The first two are door locks Standard mortise house lock Front door back door, the third seems to be a cabinet key with the forward slot. (the least intricate/ simple to pick)
Not a lot of value at all. What I know most about keys is that the more intricate/ complicated the unlocking mechanism is, the more it is worth.

Cheers

 

[DigIron2]

Never heard of that kind of cache, the keys are before 1940 most likely and are very cool looking.

yeah maybe cache was the wrong word.He Found a old key collection.that sounds a little more right.Still a neat find

 

[trdking]

I would say you found someones turn of the century "hide a key" Spare keys in case of emergency

Anything that comes out of the dirt is Awesome! Hey, I think I found my new catch phrase!

 

[TheTh3rd]

Neat-O Gang! Thanks yall

 

[hvacker]

Back in the 50"s you could buy skeleton keys at Woolworth or Ben Franklin dime stores. Of course I had to have them. Pack of 2 and would open most mortise locks. Made of steel, I think the cost was .25 cents. As a kid the idea of opening a locked door was very interesting. Having a detective mentality I needed all the tricks I could find. With my friend Susan we made a foot print cast of a peeping Tom with plaster of Paris and gave it to the police chief so he could capture him. I'm sure it would have helped but the suspect drowned in the lake fishing. We were probably right as the case of the peeping Tom ended.
I had a lot of fun being a kid.

 

[mrwilburino]

You could still buy them in the 70's. I had one that was similar to the one directly left of the penny.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

The teeth on the two longer keys look identical, just the shafts are different lengths.
Cool find! Maybe the person buried other things around there, have a look around with your detector.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

The house I lived in until 2005 had a front door key exactly like the middle one and it was built in 1935. Nails much like the one you found as well.