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Antique Safes/age of vault door

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Expert: - 8/6/2008


Question
We are installing an old vault door in our newly constructed location in Pasadena, TX. It is a Herring Hall Marvin with #191982 serial on the handle. It has dials by Sargent Greenleaf of Rochester, NY. We have been led to believe that is was made in the mid 189X's but I see where the company was having financial difficulty then.

Can you confirm and age?
thanks

Answer
Wes,

HHM did not merge until 1892.  HHM was eventually purchased by Diebold in the 1950s.  Sargent & Greenleaf was in Rochester from 1865 to 1975, so that doesn't help us with the date.  With a serial number of 191982 I would suspect that it is around 1910-1920.  There are no "serial number" records available to date HHM safes or vault doors.

I have an HHM vault door at home, I'll have to check out the serial number on it to see if I can get a little closer age for you.

Andy
andy@securitysafeusa.com

Wes,

I had a chance to check out my HHM vault door.  The serial number is 20795 and it was built around 1900-1905, so this would tend to verify my original estimate of around 1910-1920 for your door.  If necessary, send me some pictures of the door and I'll see if I can narrow it down a bit more.  Include detail photos of the hinges, dials, handles, locks and art work.

Andy

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Terry V Andreasen (Andy)

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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

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Safecrackers International and the National Antique Safe Association

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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.

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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

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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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