You are here:

Antique Safes/Thomas Withers Safe - approximate date ?

Advertisement

Expert: - 4/25/2009


Question
QUESTION: Dear mr. Andreasen,

I have read many of your answers to questions with much pleasure, but I have not come across anything that compares quite closely to the safe I bought recently.
It is by Thomas Whithers and Sons, and that dates it anywhere between 1856 and 1982. My feeling is the first decade of the 20th century, but it may be later - might you you perhaps be able to shed some light on its approximate age ?
Do you have any idea what the decal at the bottom of the inside of the door would have been reading ? It seems to spell BRITAIN ... but the rest is absolutely unintelligible.
If you might be able to give me an idea of the value as it is now, that would also be welcome, although I'm definitely not selling it.

I am providing a link to some (very large) pictures of the front and inside here :

http://fotos.telenet.be/7670464751

Thanks very much in advance !

ANSWER: Chris,

Unfortunately I'm not as familiar with the British safes as I would like, but I see very few of them.  Based on the pictures that you have referenced, I would think that your safe would have been from the early 1900's also.  You may want to check out the following web page for similar safes and some, "values".

http://www.belowstairs.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Safes_and_Strongboxes_11.

Andy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Andy,

Thanks very much for the useful link.

It's amazing what one can spell out with a little inspiration and some patience. In case anyone else would still be wondering, the big label on the top reads
Makers to his Majesty's
Post Office,
& leading banks of Great Britain.
T. WITHERS & SONS Ltd.
Established 1856
Fire Proof Safes
Trade Mark
Without Which None Are Genuine
West Bromwich.
Corporations, Parish Councils
and other
public bodies & institutions.

The lower banner took me half an hour of careful sketching and puzzling, and cost me a sore elbow but here we go - it reads nothing but:

Improved
Bent Steel Safe

Thanks again,

Chris

Answer
Chris,

"Bent Steel" was a process that a number of the manufactures used in the late 1800's.  Prior to this process, each plate for the sides was manufactured and assembled independently.  With the development of the metal press, the manufactures were able to bend the sides to the safe, out of a single sheet of steel.  This eliminated several steps in manufacturing.  Saving time, means saving money.
Manufactures today still use the "bent" steel process when fabricating, but no one "advertises" improved bent steel, because it is such a common place process in manufacturing.

Andy

Antique Safes

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.