Beautiful antique hand-forged wrought iron skeleton keys. These large, heavy-barrel keys were crafted by blacksmiths across Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries to operate large warded rim locks on castle gates, chateau doors, barns, or heavy security chests. These must have been used on some pretty large locks. Certainly not keys to keep in your pocket! They feature long, thick, solid iron cylinders designed to withstand high torque. The notches and cuts in the bits are designed to clear internal obstacles (wards) inside a specific lock mechanism. The key "B" on the right features a distinct "S"- or stepped-notch cut, a design variant often used to increase resistance to picking attempts.
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