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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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Lever pouch padlock

Object Details

Description
Iron lock developed by Solomon Andrews. The front of the shackle was stamped "U. S. MAIL 1862" and the back, “S. ANDREWS PERTH AMBOY N-J.” by the manufacturer. The lock design and mechanism are as shown in patent number 1,882 issued to Solomon Andrews on December 5, 1840. The case of this lock is similar to a clam shell. It is made up of two plates of iron that were formed to shape by use of a die. The two halves are fitted with the internal mechanism and then joined together with rivets. The clam shell design had fewer parts and required fewer steps during manufacturing than contemporary padlocks and thus could be sold at a lower price. The mechanism uses four to six levers with integral springs that act on a single hook at the end of the shackle. Solomon Andrews was the primary source of locks for the Post Office Department from 1840 to 1842. After 1842 locks were also purchased from H.C. Jones. This lock was primarily used to secure mail bags. This lock was damaged during a robbery.
References:
U.S. Patent office, Patent Number 1,882.
“Postal locks: a primer for the postal lock collector,” J.R. Mundy, 1992.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
1862
Object number
2001.2001.333
Manufacturer
Solomon Andrews
Type
Mail Processing Equipment
Medium
iron
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 3 7/8 x 2 3/8 x 1 3/16 in. (9.8 x 6 x 3 cm)
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
On View
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Topic
Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
Mail Processing
Record ID
npm_2001.2001.333
Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm85aa5f57f-065e-40fb-a436-4cdfdcc057c2
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
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Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

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