Yale Print Block, Genuine of Fake?

[Adrian Weber]

Hello everyone,

I recently spotted the following item online:
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/155...=fb2_tnx_title

The chance was there and too good... I examined the item and was sure it is genuine. It was also not very expensive so I just grabbed it. Now I want to have confirmation of its authenticity.

Do you thing this piece is genuine? If yes is it rare?
I have never seen a piece like this before.

Adrian

[BBE]

Hello everyone,

I recently spotted the following item online:
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/155...=fb2_tnx_title

The chance was there and too good... I examined the item and was sure it is genuine. It was also not very expensive so I just grabbed it. Now I want to have confirmation of its authenticity.

Do you thing this piece is genuine? If yes is it rare?
I have never seen a piece like this before.

Adrian

I think they are very rare because most of the time they were melted down to reuse the metal. Yours looks like bronze. They were alsoavailable in aluminum. Typically used to print advertisements in newspapers, there have probably been hundreds if not thousands made but most melted down later. I have a few from other companies. I had an idea to use mine under glass in a coffee table but just haven't taken the time to make the table with a recess.

I think your is real and probably dates to the 1920's from looking at the lock being promoted.
BBE.

[Huw Eastwood]

That's a great find Adrian

I've got a couple of those boxed away in the attic somewhere, but mine aren't lock or safe related- that bit does make yours a lucky find. I think the blocks in general are possibly more common than some might think- there are a quite a lot of them out there and people collect them pretty much like they collect anything else.

Yours is possibly rarer than some as it looks typical of those used for higher volume printing like newspapers etc and has the copper plated face. I think most were heavy base metals like zinc with the copper plating usually used on higher production blocks.

I'm no expert though, so as to rarity and whether it's genuine or fake you'd have to join an old printing forum to know for sure, but it's just one of those curios I can't see anyone trying to copy- when you consider the complexity of making them it'd never be worth the time and trouble. They might consider faking one for a newspaper's first issue or a famous news headline if the potential value was high enough, but I can't see it for a Yale padlock advert- I think you can safely assume yours is genuine!

[Adrian Weber]

Thanks for the confirmation guys :)

Can't wait to get it because to me this is a very beautiful piece and you know that I love collecting advertising pieces from lock manufacturers or safe companies. You have any spares let me know

Just got two Bode Panzer key rings, very nice pieces too.

[lucysmith]

I would love to look at the photo but it's not there anymore. :(

[Adrian Weber]

Yeah it looks like the oldest one to be exactly.

Fritz, do you have a date or at least a year for that document?

Adrian

[Scott Klemm]

I reversed the image and lightened it a little so it can be read. It can clearly be seen that it is an advertisement perhaps for a magazine. I have no doubt that it is genuine. As for the age, that's difficult to determine. I would guess the 1920's. The padlock pictured at the top is one of the "standard" series of lever padlocks.

[Fritzer]

I reversed the image and lightened it a little so it can be read. It can clearly be seen that it is an advertisement perhaps for a magazine. I have no doubt that it is genuine. As for the age, that's difficult to determine. I would guess the 1920's. The padlock pictured at the top is one of the "standard" series of lever padlocks.

Scott,
It appears that I am not the greatest photographer - If you have the time to assist with the photo reversal - the larger print block might be interesting to see?

Regards,
Fritz.

[Fritzer]

Yeah it looks like the oldest one to be exactly.

Fritz, do you have a date or at least a year for that document?

Adrian

Adrian,
I still have some of the blank letterhead, but I don't think that I have any dates for certain.
It could have been 20's 30's or 40's I suppose.
I could not find the American key print block, but here are three that I was able to locate quickly. I know that other one is around, somewhere.
(two posts again for photos)
Regards,
Fritz.

[Fritzer]

Adrian,
(two posts again for photos)
Regards,
Fritz.

More photos.