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Antique Safes/Wm W. Bacon Safe

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Expert: - 11/20/2008


Question
Hi!  I have an old Wm. W Bacon safe in my home that I'm hoping to sell.  It's a large safe that has an outer lock and then an inner lock that opens a smaller compartment.  It was manufactured for Fuller Warren & Company, Troy, NY.  The Fuller Warren company was a furnace manufacturer in Troy in the 1800's.  I have the combination for both inner and outer locks and they both work.  I have pictures of the safe as well as of the name plate that is on the front.
The outer dimensions are 30 inches wide, 48 inches tall - with additional 5 inches added to the height by decorative feet, and 22 inches deep.
Thank you, Kim


Answer
Kim,

I tried answering you yesterday from home, but my computor crashed!

Anyway, I don't have a lot of info on Wm. W. Bacon safe company.  I do have an advertisement from an 1856 New York Times paper;  

Highly important to Bankers - It is an undeniable fact that "Bacon's Hardened Steel Burglar-Proof Safes and Yale's patent Duplex Powder and Thief proof locks" which are in use by nearly all bankers west & south are acknowledged to be in every aspect the cheapest, best and only reliable article extant.  address - WM.W.Bacon, New Haven, Connecticut.

I don't have any evidence of them as a "manufacture", however there were a number of companies in the north-east that were "licensed" to manufacture other safes.  For instance Silas Herring licensed several companies to manufacture his Salamander burglar and fireproof safes under different names.  They were all the same safes but with different company names.

I would like to see pictures of your safe to see if we can ID it.  Please send full exterior/interior photos, as well as detail pics of the dial, handle, hinges, castors, locks, boltwork, interior cabinetry, artwork and any special details.

Andy
andy@securitysafeusa.com

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Terry V Andreasen (Andy)

Expertise

Safe and Vault related Questions; Antique Safe Repair and Restoration; With over 40 years in the Safe & Vault industry, if I can't answer your question I know where to get the answer. Current Project: Restoration of two Tilton & McFarland Safes from the 1860's. Will answer Safe & Vault related questions concerning age, value, restoration, moving, opening & repairing, parts, operation and history. Note: It is not my intention to teach you to open safes or to provide information which may aid in the unlawful opening of a safe. I will not give out drill points or information which I deem inappropriate.

Experience

40 years in the Safe & Vault Industry. Service Manager for one of the largest Safe & Vault companies on the West Coast. Graduate of Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing, Safe lock Manipulation and Safe Deposit Lock Courses. Graduate of Locksmith Institute. Certified Instructor for the California Locksmith Association teaching Basic and Advanced Lock Servicing, Basic Safe opening and Repairing. Factory Trained by AMSEC, LORD Safes, LeFebure, Mosler, KabaMas, LaGard and Sargent & Greenleaf

Organizations
Safecrackers International and the National Antique Safe Association

Education/Credentials
Graduate of Locksmith Institute 1972 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Servicing 1974 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Lock Manipulation 1975 Graduate Lockmasters Safe Deposit Lock Servicing 1985 Instructor Certified - California Locksmith Association - 1985 Factory trained by AMSEC, MAJOR, STAR, Johnson-Pacific, Kaba-MAS, Allied-Gary, ISM, Lord, Brown Safe, EXL, Mosler, Diebold.

Awards and Honors
2009, 2010 & 2011 Listed in AllExperts top 50 Experts. All Experts Categories - Safes & Security Containers, Locksmithing, Antique Safes. Retired US Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer (CW3), with 32 years of total service. With numerous awards from Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. US Navy - 1971-1981 US Army Reserve 1984-2006 US Army Retired Reserve 2006-present

Past/Present Clients
US Secret Service, FBI, BATF, Local Law enforcment agencies, Diebold, Hamilton Pacific, Red Hawk Int., Chubb International, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, Mechanics Bank, El Dorado Savings Bank, many Credit unions and smaller banks. McDonalds, Togos, BurgerKing, TacoBell, Carls Jr. FoodMaxx, SaveMart, Lucky's, Albertson's, Raley's, Safeway, NobHill, Bell Markets, PW Markets. Great America, Century Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, UA Cinemas, and many homeowners and small businesses. Provide warranty service for lock and safe manufactures. Service area is Northern California - Fresno to Oregon, including western Nevada

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