German armada chest of the 17th century

Origin : Germany
Period : 17th century


Height : 37 cm
Width : 79 cm
Depth : 40 cm

Fake and real keyhole hidden
Safety interlock with 7 bolt of lock and 3 hooks
Small additional chest inside
Two keys


Southern Germany, especially Nuremberg was a specialist of the iron coffers making, forerunners of today’s safes, and exported it around the world.
During the 19th century sea-enthusiasts Englishmen, proud of their victorious marine past, decided to call those pieces Armada Chest. They would have been conceived to host ingots of gold to finance the Invincible Armada and washed up on shore after shipwrecks.

As a matter of fact the desaster of the Armada happened in 1588 whereas Nuremberg kept producing those chests until the late 18th century. They were made in all sizes to hold jewellery as well as a banker’s reserve.
Made of wrought iron the chest is also strenghtened with interlaced iron bands. As a decorative element or as a deterrent decoy a keyhole is clearly exposed on the facade. Furthermore, two rings linked to the clasp can host a padlock rod. As for the true keyhole, it can be found on the lid, hidden by a fake nail.
Inside the chest is fixed another coffer in the left corner also equipped with a keyhole.