Chubbs

Hi all, can anybody give an educated guess on how old this pair of safe plaques I acquired are? They are off a double door safe and are in a thick grade of pressed brass. The handles came with them and are quite nice. Only thing is the screw heads that hold the handle to the back plate have three heads missing. I don't know if I should have them replaced or leave them as is, they work perfectly well and will probably do so for another lifetime. Thanks anyhow for any help relating to the age. Respect.

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Originally Posted by Warren63

Hi all, can anybody give an educated guess on how old this pair of safe plaques I acquired are? They are off a double door safe and are in a thick grade of pressed brass. The handles came with them and are quite nice. Only thing is the screw heads that hold the handle to the back plate have three heads missing. I don't know if I should have them replaced or leave them as is, they work perfectly well and will probably do so for another lifetime. Thanks anyhow for any help relating to the age. Respect.

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There doesn't seem to be much information forthcoming so here's my tuppence worth.

The drop handles might suggest that they might have come from an internal security cupboard. The plates have the appearance of having come from the same approximate period in time as the attached which dates from 1847.

Attachment 16502

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warren63

Hi all, can anybody give an educated guess on how old this pair of safe plaques I acquired are? They are off a double door safe and are in a thick grade of pressed brass. The handles came with them and are quite nice. Only thing is the screw heads that hold the handle to the back plate have three heads missing. I don't know if I should have them replaced or leave them as is, they work perfectly well and will probably do so for another lifetime. Thanks anyhow for any help relating to the age. Respect.

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1877 is the relevant date which is the latest this can be because their address changed after that.
the drop handles were only really popular with Chubb and Chatwood but are from the outside of the safe given the size of them. Not sure what else I can say...

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Originally Posted by Tom Gordon

1877 is the relevant date which is the latest this can be because their address changed after that.
the drop handles were only really popular with Chubb and Chatwood but are from the outside of the safe given the size of them. Not sure what else I can say...

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Thanks Tom and Safeman, so approx between 1847 & 1877. I noticed while researching that an address of 68,Cross St Manchester 28, Lord St Liverpool and a Wolverhampton address I can't quite remember were listed. I've only ever seen the St Paul's and Queen Victoria address used and wondered if the other addresses were ever attributed on plaques,keys or locks?

Warren, this might be of interest i'm also a fan of those Chubb drop handles, and from what I've encountered their timeline might stretch longer than expected..

If you know for definite that the handles you have are matched to the plates with the older 57 St. Paul's address, then alls probably right, as Tom said its then roughly down to the change to the new address in 1877.

But, it does seem that type of handle may have been used over some considerable time, as I have one from a much later SRD badged 128 Queen Victoria St from a building dated 1898. I also know of a building with several largish doors, all fitted with the same drops, also badged with 128 Queen Vic plates from 1897.

The version they fitted on the strongroom doors is a fair bit bigger and heavier at around 4 inches across. I've now lost count of the offers I've had for this big 'Chubb door knocker'!
Attachment 16894

Now I've seen your handle I might have to polish one of mine , (I've got handle envy) they do make great door knockers I would imagine. You wouldn't want to drop one one on your foot if You only had your socks on, there's a bit of weight about them. You could also use a Chubb fish escutcheon as the base to knock it on! But if you weren't a locksmith,collector or in the trade that might just get translated as weird/tacky I would imagine.