Object Details
- Manufacturer
- H. C. Jones
- Description
- Iron lock developed by H. C. Jones. The front has raised letters "U. S. MAIL 1859" cast above the keyhole by the manufacturer. The case back was cast with depressed letters "H. C. JONES PATENT". The mechanism has five levers and a bolt that extends through a slot in the shackle. The design is similar to that shown in H. C. Jones’s patent number 2525, dated April 1, 1842, but does not have the keyhole cover shown in the patent. Locks of this design usually have a plain shackle and can be found without the year on the front of the case. This lock was generally used for securing mail bags between 1842 through the 1860s.
- References:
- U.S. Patent office, Patent Number 2525
- “Postal locks: a primer for the postal lock collector,” J.R. Mundy, 1992.
- 1859
- Object number
- 1992.2002.838
- Type
- Mail Processing Equipment
- Medium
- iron
- Dimensions
- Height x Width x Depth: 2 1/2 x 2 x 3/4 in. (6.35 x 5.08 x 1.91 cm)
- Place
- United States of America
- See more items in
- National Postal Museum Collection
- On View
- Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
- National Postal Museum
- Topic
- American Expansion (1800-1860)
- Mail Processing
- Record ID
- npm_1992.2002.838
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm84fdd52bf-1d28-4e16-bfc7-a6dcb34e3b8a
