u.s. postal lock

IowaChris

Junior Member

Joined

Nov 26, 2014

Messages

95

• Dec 8, 2014

• #1

I found this old lock this year. I can't get the other pic to load, but it has a glass window in the side with a count of how many times it was locked. When I dug it, the lock was open, and I wiggled it to see if it was seized up and it snapped right shut! Doh!! Any idea when they stopped using these? Looks like they go for $30-50 on ebay. Does that sound about right?

 

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ScubaDetective

In Memory Of

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May 14, 2008

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Underwater with the fishes

• Dec 8, 2014

• #2

If you look at completed listings, one without keys sold for 21.00 and one with keys sold for 50.00.

I am guessing yours is in the 21.00 range. A much older one sold for over 300.00.

 

Seven

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Apr 11, 2013

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Monroe County Kentucky

• Dec 8, 2014

• #3

Nice find regardless of it value.

 

msand

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Nov 16, 2013

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Iowa City

• Dec 8, 2014

• #4

Cool lock.

 

Randy Combs

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Oct 31, 2013

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Location

Fredonia KY

• Dec 8, 2014

• #5

Way cool find!

 

GroundSweeper

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Placer Co., CA

• Dec 9, 2014

• #6

Awesome lock! Congrats!

 

W

whatsburied

Senior Member

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Jun 13, 2013

Messages

269

• Dec 9, 2014

• #7

Those older locks had style. Cool lock, love it!!

 

IowaChris

Junior Member

Joined

Nov 26, 2014

Messages

95

• Jan 1, 2015

• #8

I took the lock into the post office yesterday morning, thinking an employee may be a bit of a history buff and could tell me a little about it, maybe even have a spare key. They said they actually still use a nearly identical lock today for registered mail, and showed me one. The only difference I could see is their brass lock was so shiny it looked like gold. They said they could unlock mine but couldn't give me a key, as it was a master key. He was able to get the key in the lock but couldn't get it open. I hadn't put much effort into cleaning it so there was probably still a lot of dirt wedged in it.

 

Andy105

Elite Member

Joined

Aug 27, 2014

Messages

588

Location

IL, USA

• Jan 1, 2015

• #9

Nice lock! Too bad that they couldn't open it. Glad that they let you keep it, instead of seizing it as Govt Property.

 

R

Red Hope

New Member

Joined

Dec 28, 2014

Messages

23

• Jan 5, 2015

• #10

Wow. That lock is really awesome! Also really neat that they still use one very similar today.