Barrel Key, Cast Iron with Inscription '100'.

Barrel Key, Cast Iron with Inscription '100'.

In Ancient Rome, whose engineers and inventors managed to greatly improve upon the designs of Egyptian wooden locks. By using iron and bronze, Romans were able to create much stronger and smaller locks, with keys that were light enough to be carried on the person. As far as their form of the keys was concerned, one great invention changed their look forever. Introduction of wards into locks shaped the keys from large flat structures with pins on their end to the look of what we call today the “Skeleton key” – the simple cylindrical shaft that has one single thin and rectangular tooth (or bit). This design continued to be used for 17 centuries after the fall of Roman Empire, receiving an only minor update in their looks (during all that time locksmiths were more focused on deceiving the thieves or making their work more tedious than innovating new safeguarding mechanisms). Skeleton keys can be found even today in houses that were built before the 1940s.

Item Code - LOC8C3192MA

Length: 4 1/2"  Width: 1 1/4"  Weight: 32 g