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The Archaeology of Personal Security: Metal-Detector Finds of Early Modern Letter-Combination Padlocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2011

Extract

Three recent finds of keyless letter-combination locks reflect the growth in the need for personal security during the early modern period. Although geographically distant from each other, the fact that the three padlocks in question share many of the same distinguishing characteristics is indicative of their manufacture by a single specialist producer. Alternatively, one manufacturer may have sold blanks to traders who personalized the lock once they found a buyer, in which case the locks are the work of two manufacturers — a maker and a finisher — which implies a widespread network of professional and casual makers within the locksmithing trade.

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Other
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2005

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