KEY (LOCKING)

A complete post medieval copper alloy rotary key, 16th century AD. The small key has an oval-bow with a kidney-shaped aperture defined by an inwardly projecting point from the centre where the bow abuts the stem. The hollow stem has been roughly faceted at this proximal end so that it is hexagonal in section; towards the bit of the key, however, the stem expands slightly and progresses to more of a circular section. The key bit projects outwards some 13.74mm, at ninety-degrees to the stem, and is flush with the distal end of it. There is no channel between the bit and the stem, the large sub-cruciform cleft in the upper half of the bit reaches right up to the stem. Below this is a further simple cleft at the lowest edge of the bit, reaching inwards around half the width of the bit. The key is in good condition, and has sustained damage at only three points. One of these is a small area lost out of the bow, the others are from the uppermost edge of the stem. The key has a mid-brown patina with patches of orange corrosion.

Egan (2005, 73), illustrates a number of keys with similar bows, although the examples are all made from iron. The keys largely come from Early Post Medieval contexts.

Dimensions: length: 71.82mm; width (of bow): 25.07mm; diameter: 5.91mm; weight: 14.76g.

Reference: Egan, G. 2005. Material Culture in London in an Age of Transition. MoLAS Monograph 19. English Heritage: London.