Ratner Safe Co. strongbox, 1870

Ratner Safe Co.

A rare mid-Victorian cast-iron carriage safe or strongbox, made by the Ratner Safe Co. of 51 Moorgate Street, London. The extremely heavy strong box with two polished cast side handles and top handle all stamped RATNER, with polished bronze letters V and R (Victoria Regina) and a crown indicating this may have either been fitted inside a carriage used by the household of Queen Victoria or a company working on behalf of Her Majesty, such as the Royal Mail. The plain interior retains its original Prussian blue Japanned paint. English, circa 1870.

Size: length: 16½ inches (42 cm).

The Ratner Safe Company were leaders in the design and manufacture of safes, strong room doors and strong boxes. By 1909 they had obtained the patent for safe doors resistant to oxy-acetylene blowpipe and designed the earliest interchangeable key lock, able to be locked by a thousand different keys, but only able to be opened by the person who originally locked it.

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