Old safe

[Martimus Rex]

Found this old safe in the crawl space under a lodge that was built around 1919. Any idea where to find the manufacture information? The door looks torched off and missing.

 

[DigginThePast]

Don't know the manufacturer. Definitely a job for Geraldo.

 

[stefen]

Makes a good door stop or boat anchor

 

[Martimus Rex]

that would sink the boat. Sucker must weigh 2 tons. Rumor Al Capone stayed at this place. Thought is might be possible to track down who owned the safe.

 

[Martimus Rex]

The entire thing is rusted pretty bad. Initial inspection we could not see any dates. Hoping to find out where it might be and clean that area off. Well in the 40s the St Louis Mob was coming down to this area a lot.

 

[TiredIron]

I have eleven old safes from about 1870-1920. Not a one of them has a wheel that swivels. All mine will roll left and right but not forward. Not a one of them has an actual tag or data plate. Not a one has a name cast into the wheels. Two of mine have round doors and are called Manganese Cannon Ball style because manganese particles were cast in with the iron to make them more difficult to drill and they are round in shape. Both of these are pre-1900. During these years companies like Halls, Herring, Mosler, etc. didn't make the boxes....they usually made the door and or the lock mechanism. Later they used standard locks like Sargent & Greenleaf. These old box safes were crude in construction but had very artistic painting and pen striping. Most were two layer steel with concrete poured in between for weight and fire proofing. Mosler started putting a tag with a serial number on in about the fourties I believe.

TiredIron
As usual....if its rediculous, heavy, blows up or shoots.....I have collected it.

added disclaimer: The above information is about "my" safes and what "I" have seen. This is no way discredits statements and or information provided by other posters on this forum. If you have been offended, please see the Chaplin and get your card punched. He is in at 08:00hrs

 

[sniffer]

I've found an old safe too. the name plate is on the inside of the door.
it's not stamped in, it's on a separate plate that is then riveted to the door

 

[Martimus Rex]

Hey Rando, nice pics. I've been doing a lot of google searches and nothing even close.

The door is completely AWOL. Cannot find that thing anywhere.

 

[TiredIron]

LMAO...."I can't help but notice that you have a habit of posting in an inflammatory and challenging way."
Just stating what I have......as examples. Seems you have a problem with taking things personal when people don't always agree with you. I don't recall saying you were wrong or that your examples that you presented didn't exist. I'm sorry you find the civil exchange of information and ideas difficult.....and challenging.
Here....."Way to go Rando" ......there now.

Martimus look at this one.
http://www.theantiquesafecollector.com/photospage3.html (second from the bottom)Similar but not exact.
Circa 1899 Louis Contencin & Sons Round Screw Door Safe. At least you can see by comparison that yours had a screw door system just like this one. The internal threads are a match.

http://www.diebold.com/150/photogallery.htm
http://www.antiqueguns.biz/guns/cannonball safe.htm
http://www.theantiquesafecollector.com/antiquesafepostersale.html (go through the pages)

Tirediron

 

[goldguru]

the date on my 1901 3x4x6 floor model also only has left right casters it wieghs in about 4500 lbs,the builder signed the inside of the tin work around the tumbler
"june 6 1901"

it was burglerized when i got it & is a work in progress,not sure if i can remmber howto reassemble it anymore..lol

wow lucked out & found a pic it Identical to this.

http://galen-frysinger.us/eh67/bisbee07.jpg

a pic of yours with a door

http://i.pbase.com/o6/47/92247/1/83022667.UmSRGnMl.Mvc030s.jpg

 

[taz42o]

I believe your safe was made by the national safe and lock co.
The first pic shows a newer model but it has the base with wheels that is same as yours.
The next pics shows one like yours with no base but you can see the same paint job { grey with gold pin stripe }

National Safe & Lock Co. Antique Screw-In-Door Money Chest
Approx. Weight (lbs.) 5,000
H W D H W D
30 30 23
Inside Compartment Has Locker With Dual Key 11 24 11
Inside Compartment Has Open Cell 11 24 11
Age - Has patent plate dated 4/16/1896
Unit Has Round Door that screws into cavity
Safe is made of heavy composite metal - possibly Magnesium
Unit has time lock - nickle plated -

 

[Martimus Rex]

Wow, thanks guys! Those are some great pics. That safe is a little older than we were expecting.

 

[stefen]

Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, what are you going to do with the safe?

And, no, I'm not in the need of anything for my 'White Elephant Garage Sale'...

 

[Martimus Rex]

Have no idea what to do with the thing. Can't imagine what it will take to get the thing moved from where it is. I would have loved to been there to see it put into that spot. Now we start digging, sifting, and MDing. Maybe something got left behind.

 

[GopherDaGold]

The entire thing is rusted pretty bad. Initial inspection we could not see any dates. Hoping to find out where it might be and clean that area off. Well in the 40s the St Louis Mob was coming down to this area a lot.

My grandfather (born in 1895) was a 'courier' for who you describe as the 'St. Louis Mob' (earlier than the 1940's though) and was quite well connected. His home in Lincoln County, MO. (long since demolished) had a tunnel from the cellar/basement to the river.
The staircase to the second floor was riddled with bullet holes but the excitement didn't end there.
My mom claimed that in her bedroom there was a crack in the wall plaster running from the floor up to about 6', rounded at the top, then back down again. She said the entire crack was in the shape of an early casket. The house was demolished in the 50's or 60's and we never heard if anything, (or anyONE) was discovered behind that crack.
Because my grandfather was so highly respected within the organization, he was allowed to 'retire' with his life intact when he proposed to my grandmother. Eddy Rickenbacker attended their nuptials as a member of the wedding party.
I wonder if grandpappy ever saw that safe?

 

[Martimus Rex]

Hey GopherDaGold, thanks for sharing. Find that stuff pretty facinating. That would be pretty funny if your grandpappy would of had something to do with it. We have a copy of a deed for a neighboring lodge in the name of a convicted hitman back in the 40s. I am sure that they were coming down way before that. This area started getting popular around 1880 as a vacation spot. Only about an 75 miles from STL.

 

[digging wv]

I retired from the postal service and I have seen safes like that made by disbold, mosler, yale, and S&G. I have never seen one with wheels that swivel. Some of them are even built into conventinal safes. Most have a tribolt locking mechinism meaning three bolts to lock. They are tough little buggers to get into

 

[intimer]

i seen an old safe similar in style. it was mighty heavy.

hey, i bet it still works.
just fill it up and tip it face down.

 

[digging wv]

Sorry if I offended, just relating to my career as a safe cracker for the postoffice. I know we had a limited choice of equiment to work with. Again just talking from my experiance. Again sorry if I offended .