Old hotel key

[cheese]

I am posting this for a friend of mine who got this from a schoolyard. The school is new. I guess it got uncovered when the bulldozers went to work building the school. This is in SW Ga., but the key appears to be foreign (Antwerp). There is no local town of Antwerp around me to my knowledge. Is this something of value? We thought about trying to straighten it out between a couple of blocks of wood in a vice, but wanted to get some opinions first. It's big and heavy compared to a regular key.

 

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[KIXLSYD]

wow, that is pretty cool. i dont knw anthing about it, but it is pretty cool. Brad

 

[Nana40]

Neat find! Might be more good stuff there!

 

[Snee]

Nice!

 

[trk5capt]

If Only That Key Could Talk, I Wounder What Stories it Would Tell. Best of Luck & Good Hunting. trk5capt...

 

[Wetgreenie]

I find a Hotel weber in amsterdam and also one on the island of Capri but not in Antwerp Belgium.
However, I wonder if there might have been a name change?
There are many hotels but who know's... it might have been this hotel that is now a Hilton in Antwerp.
I was almost tempted to call and ask. Interesting.....


http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=ANRHITW&adId=europetaste,pagelinkANRHITW

 

[River Rat]

I did the same as Wetgreenie, & found the same thing. Wet just posted the info right when I got ready to hit the post.

Who knows? It is a interesting key.

 

[dollarbill]

on this page there is a reference to the "Grand Hotel Weber" in Antwerp

http://www.sibmas.org/congresses/sibmas94/antw_3.html

 

[cheese]

Thanks guys! You have found the exact pages I found in my search too. I guess there's not much info about it on the net. I can go with the idea that the hotel may have and likey has changed names by now. I wonder if it's that hilton?! Wow, that's a nice place, and old too!

 

[privet12]

If it is a soft metal then it can be straightend but if it is some kind of cast metal then it could break it I would find out if it has any real value and if not then i would try to straighten it. It is a very neat looking key at least take care Noel

 

[Southcacalaky]

Kool Key there, HH Art...

 

[Mona Lisa]

That is a neat key, Cheese. It looks heavy.

 

[Leon]

Very nice key, WTG!!!
Good luck, & Happy hunting~

 

[Wetgreenie]

Maybe Bob V from Belgium can help?

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

Maybe Bob V from Belgium can help?

BOB VALDEZ, Belgium will try to find something on this matter. Just give me some time. Spent the whole day fixing my caches (geocaching ! Made 199 caches in Belgium and maintaining them is some business... Had even a flat tyre, on my way home... But had a very good day, did lots & lots of work. But NO detecting, today (snif))

 

[pgill]

Makes you wonder how such a strong key can bend like that..... The old keys were normally made from cast brass and could withstand be bend back into shape.... but take care. I also have some old keys, but these do not generally bring in much money as there were so many made.

God bless
Peter

 

[BOB VALDEZ]

BELGIAN KEY ? Only "maybe"...

LS,

There are 3 official languages in Belgium. Now, in 2006. Let's say for 60% of the people (= 6.000.000) the first language is FLEMISH (+/- Dutch). For about 40% of the people (4.000.000) FRENCH is the first language. And for a small minority it is GERMAN.

"Antwerp" is the name foreigners (English speaking, that is) give to this important city. We call it ANTWERPEN, and in French it is ANVERS. The French language was considered "chique" for a very long time (even in Flanders !), Flemish was like the language for peasants. This changed only recently, like 40-30 years ago.

Now, this key is OLD. If it would really be from Belgium, the place would have been (I think) "Anvers" or - just maybe - "Antwerpen", marked on that key. But then of course, ANTWERP has for many centuries been an important international harbour (Napoleon considered the river DE SCHELDE, on which banks Antwerpen is located a "loaded gun on London" !) so it IS possible that some hotelowner wrote ANTWERP on his keys. But this seems unlikely to me.

But then, of course, there could have been a place ANTWERP ANYWHERE. How many places in the US also exist in Spain, Germany, Holland, France ? Do you know that... HOBOKEN is in Belgium ? About 7 kilometers from... Antwerp ? And it is MUCH older then Hoboken in the US ! New Orleans ? Is a French name ! There is a place in France where they burned Jeanne D'Arc. Yes, in Orl?ans. So, the immigrants made... Nouvelle Orl?ans. B?ton Rouge is French and means RED STICK, etc.

So, I think the key belongs to a hotel in a place called ANTWERP, but th?t hotel was NOT in Belgium.

At least : that is what I (!) think. No more, no less.

Greetings from Belgium !

BOB VALDEZ

 

[cheese]

Great info Bob! Thank you for your time. I'll see what I come up with as far as national towns named Antwerp.

 

[p.couck@m-c.be]

Hi,

By accident I found your post about the old hotel key. I live in Antwerp, Belgium.
I think it's original from an old Antwerp hotel which doesn't exist anymore (it was demolished in 1969).
My mother in law has very fond childhood memories of this hotel.
Would you consider selling the old key? It would make a great X-Mas gift for my mother in law.

Thanks for your answer.

Petra Couck

 

[september]

Nice find!!