AboutTerry Andreasen (Andy) Expertise Safe and Vault related Questions;
Antique Safe Repair and Restoration;
With over 37 years in the Safe & Vault industry, if I can't answer your question I know where to get the answer.
Current Project: Restoration of three, 36 ton steel vault doors and drop floors, in the old Federal Reserve Building, San Francisco.
Experience 37 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
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
Awards and Honors Retired US Army, with many decorations and awards from Vietnam, Desert Storm and Op Iraqi Freedom.
Past/Present Clients Secret Service, FBI, Dept. of Homeland Defense, US Army, US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Marine Corps, Lawerence Livermore National Lab, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, various local banks, credit unions, state agencies, Jewelers, and many commercial and residential customers.
Service Area is Northern California (Fresno to Oregon and Western Nevada)
QUESTION: I have what appears to be a Mosler Cannonball Safe. It has an upper cannon with 3 time delay clocks and dial says"The Mosler Safe Company" and "Mfg. by Valley Forge". Underneath is a separate safe with no time release clocks with a dial "Yale". No keyholes for this safe. I have the combinations. I have looked everywhere for the serial numbers, but have not found any. Do you know where they are?
ANSWER: Rich,
Mosler generally stamped the serial numbers on the handles of most of their safes. On the more elaborate safes and safes made after the 40's it may also have been on tags which were rivited to the safe.
I'm not sure what the "Mfg. by Valley Forge" references as Mosler was not in Valley Forge and neither was Yale. I would have to see detailed pictures of the safe, art work and any labels to figure out the reference.
Other places to look for the serial number would be around the hinges, stamped on the door or the body. It may actually be in several places.
If necessary send the pictures to me at: andy@securitysafeusa.com, the more detailed (and higer resolution) the more I can examine the safe.
Andy
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I examined the entire safe. That includes top, bottom, front, back, sides, insides, insides of doors and any other surface that even might have a serial # or any other identifying characters. I found two things which might be of help. On the upper lock dial itself (on the part that you rotate to input combo) around the circular part it says, "MFDBY <YALE> For". Then in the middle in horizontal print it says (line 1) Mosler, then below it it says, "Safe Co" . The handle had nothing on it. On the bottom of the lower support arm of the upper door etched into the metal (I had to lay on the ground and look up) it said either "62 - 8" or "62 - 3". I was unable to confirm if it was a 3 or an 8. Additionally, the dash was unclear. It could have just been a simple dash and it also could have been a numerical one " 1 " (with the "flag" at the top and a small cross stroke at the bottom so that it took 3 strokes to complete the figure).
Answer Rich,
I do have pictures of the next larger size, and one very similar to yours, except it has been restored with a nice paint job. Your safe has been repainted, so the serial number may have been painted over. I don't have a Mosler cannonball available to look at to give you an idea of where to look for a serial number.
)