Ancient - Ward Box Locks

 These locks were re-moveable, and re-useable. They were used on doors reinforced treasure or "Armada" chests, activating a large number of locking bolts. Some chests had as many as 15-25 locking bolts. The torque required to move these locking bolts often necessitated using a metal rod thru the bow of the key to get enough torque to move the bolts.

Click to Enlarge Image Ward Box and Key. Ward Box: 5" high x 3" wide x 3" deep. Key: 7" long x 3" bow width x 3" bit length x 1 1/2" bit width. Mfg by: German manufacture, 16th-17th c.
"The Steve Sommers Collection" 		4548
Click to Enlarge Image Ward Box and Key. Mfg by: European manufacture, 16th-17th c. 6827
Click to Enlarge Image Ward Box and Key. Mfg by: European manufacture, 16th-17th c. 6829
Click to Enlarge Image Ward Box and Key. The Ward Box mounting plate is 4 3/4" x 4 3/4". The key is 4 1/2" long. This Ward Box was most likely used on a door. Mfg by: European manufacture, 17th-18th c. 6828