Printable View
Found this Chubb unexpectedly screwed high on a garage roof beam along with a couple of others, all had been there since 1971 or 72.
Got a bit of a shock when I took this one down though- despite it bearing the older address prior to their big 1877 move, it's actually a paper thin pressing that weighs only 22 grammes !
Attachment 18458 Attachment 18459
Weren't they always pressings on cash boxes?
No idea tbh Tom, although it would make sense in order to minimise the weight on something portable like a cash box.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Gordon
I ahve always heard that this finish still visible on the back, (but long gone from the front) is a gold and mercury vapour deposit process, long since outlawed by health and safety.Quote:
Originally Posted by Huw Eastwood
Does anyone know exactly what the process was though?
If its anything like the old Mercury fire gilding process they used on spelter clocks etc, as a cheaper answer to ormolu, I think the average workers lifespan was about 30 !
I saw one of these on eBay a couple of weeks ago Huw. The two holes on the plaque are for a handle. I have seen them sold with what looked like the front of a drawer attatched too but no keyhole. They don't come up for sale that often on eBay but I've seen them sell for as little as a couple of quid in dodgy condition and as high as £50 with the handle with it. Nice find.
Thanks for that Warren, just had a look under completed listings and it's still a bit of a mystery, as the fixings and plate/handle look to be reversed to what you'd expect.
Unless it's off something big enough to need the plate on the inside and a small drop handle on the outside, which is unlikely, as you've seen them attached to drawer type fronts, it seems more like its been reversed for the photos.
It'd make more sense if the pressed plate and handle were on the same side, assuming it's a drawer or cash box type container, that way the slotted retaining screws and washers would be on the inside and handle on the outside. Wish I'd seen the one with the front still attached as that might throw more light on it, especially if it didn't have a keyhole.
To make things worse, it's more than likely we had all the rest of the bits, but it's anyone's guess where they've ended up since 1972 :-(
I have one of these on a deed box. The plaque is on the underside of the lid with the slotted screws. Handle on the outside of the lid. I'll try to find it and post a photo. S