Identifying keys and locks

Bit, bow, and stem.

The shape of the bit (the working end), the bow (handle), and whether the stem is solid or hollow are datable features. A hollow stem rode a pin in the lock — common on door keys into the post-medieval period.

Roman keys include lever and tumbler mechanisms and the distinctive ring-key, worn on the finger with a tiny angled bit — often for a casket rather than a door. Medieval keys run from massive iron door keys to fine copper-alloy casket keys.

Iron keys corrode heavily and the bit’s slots — the part that actually dates the mechanism — may only show clearly under X-ray. Copper-alloy keys keep their detail far better.

Record overall length, bit shape, bow form, and stem type. A drawing of the bit, even a rough one, captures what a photograph of a corroded key often cannot.

From the guide library inside Collectors Catalogues, a free app for cataloguing antiques and finds with honest, museum-grade records.

More on metalwork

Identifying harness and horse fittings — Pendants, mounts, and buckles.

Identifying weights — Standardised mass, marked.

Identifying pins and needles — Head form and point.

Identifying mounts and fittings — Rivets, solder, and back.

Identifying buckles — The commonest metal-detecting find after coins — and surprisingly datable.

Identifying strap ends — The decorated tips of belts and straps, from Roman to Tudor.

Home · Get the app · Guides · Museums · Privacy · Terms