Primitive/vernacular Half mortise box lock from sea chest

[Patrick Sparks]

I have what I believe is a sea chest, made of American mahogany. It had a lift lid, two tills, iron hardware, and has a two-strike half-mortise box lock. I am attaching some photos of the chest and the lock.

The lock has a thin iron housing with a copper cover plate over the mechanism, riveted to the iron housing. inside I can see a spiral spring. There are two little blocks of wood almost like shims between the copper cover plate and the iron housing. These pieces of wood appear to be a tropical hardwood, not mahogany.

Can anyone advise on possible age and origin?