These are ancient Roman keys. They were generally crafted from bronze or brass and were often designed to be worn as finger rings as these were.
Locks and keys are often caked with dust and dirt when you find them. Do not do more than a rudimentary cleaning since they are worth more if they retain their antique patina. A mild household detergent strips surface grime off brass or bronze. Iron can be washed with kerosene and left outdoors to dry. A good cleaning could reduce value greatly so be careful.
We had several correct guesses for our February What Is It. The winners are: Terry Cook of Fort Morgan, Colorado; David Gibbons, Denver, Colorado; Richard Mandel, Denver, Colorado; Jean Helzer, Arvada, Colorado; Jerome McLaren, Conifer, Colorado; and Pete Peterson, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Congratulations! You have all won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.
We had a late guess for the January What Is It. Jean Reynolds of Nederland, Colorado correctly identified the item as Carnival Glass. We decided to let her sneak this in and we will also give her a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.
Thank you to everyone for venturing a guess.
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