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Antique Keys

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Miami Antique Keys

Miami, Florida was not incorporated until 1896. By that time, the population had grown to over 300 settlers. While this number is not that large, the majority of the population were military families stationed at Fort Dallas. This posed a unique security threat, as the soldiers there had to protect the area from the Seminoles, a Native American tribe, and runaway slaves.

The women in the area were often left without male protection for extended periods, a practice that was frowned upon during the 1800’s. The men, in an effort to protect the women, placed locks on certain doors in the home. Wealthy men usually had locks on all the exterior doors of the home. At least two interior doors had locks as well, usually on a pantry type room and a bedroom. Men with less means usually had one interior lock and no exterior locks.

While there was no shortage of antique keys during that era, numerous factors since have caused the available keys in the area to diminish rapidly. The Great Freeze of 1894 and 1926 Miami Hurricane are two such notable events.

Although the style of keys used varied greatly, the most widely available Miami antique keys today are Victorian keys. They were heavier and more durable than any other type of key. The majority of these keys have a considerable amount of damage to the ornate bow section, ranging from a chipped edge to full sections of the bow missing.

In some cases, a highly skilled, detail oriented locksmith is able to recreate the broken pieces of the bow section, or at least camouflage the defects. When a mint condition key or even a good condition key is located, antique collectors are willing to pay top dollar to purchase and care for the key.

Replica keys are widely available for very low prices. While these keys can render a lock functional, they are not at all desirable to collectors, as the historical value of authentic keys is not there.

You may find antique keys services in the following locations: