Unknown "plug" handcuffs?

Hi All!

I recently aquired this pair of handcuffs for my humble collection. Had to trade in an August Schwarz Gestapo used lead chain to get the price down to a reasonable level.



Excellent craftmanship, but I have never seen this type of handcuff before. At first when I saw it I thought that it was a modified plug handcuffs, because of the holes in the tube, but its for its strange key.





Its marked BC on one link and thats it.



Any of You seen such a pair before or have any ideas of origin and age? I believe it to be northeuropean around 1700, buts thats just an unqualified guess.


Compared to a set of Peerless 400.


Best regards, and thanks,

Jim - Denmark

Very interesting handcuffs Jim.
Thank you for sharing photos.

Hi All!

I recently aquired this pair of handcuffs for my humble collection. Had to trade in an August Schwarz Gestapo used lead chain to get the price down to a reasonable level.



Excellent craftmanship, but I have never seen this type of handcuff before. At first when I saw it I thought that it was a modified plug handcuffs, because of the holes in the tube, but its for its strange key.





Its marked BC on one link and thats it.



Any of You seen such a pair before or have any ideas of origin and age? I believe it to be northeuropean around 1700, buts thats just an unqualified guess.


Compared to a set of Peerless 400.


Best regards, and thanks,

Jim - Denmark

Click to expand...

I don't think you're far off with the age. Maybe 18C.

They look gorgeous. The key would depress the two spring leaves, allowing the cuff to open. I'd expect springs of that age to be fragile and/or dead. The fact that they appear to be in the correct position is a great plus IMO.

Something of that age was likely hand made, and could be from dangnear anywhere.

Hi All!

I recently aquired this pair of handcuffs for my humble collection. Had to trade in an August Schwarz Gestapo used lead chain to get the price down to a reasonable level.



Excellent craftmanship, but I have never seen this type of handcuff before. At first when I saw it I thought that it was a modified plug handcuffs, because of the holes in the tube, but its for its strange key.





Its marked BC on one link and thats it.



Any of You seen such a pair before or have any ideas of origin and age? I believe it to be northeuropean around 1700, buts thats just an unqualified guess.


Compared to a set of Peerless 400.


Best regards, and thanks,

Jim - Denmark

Click to expand...

I have seen a similiar design used on darby pattern cuffs here in the USA on the east coast. One of these days I will get back to the museum that has them and photograph them. At this location they date I would say early 18 century. The leaf spring design to me would suggest either asian or along the slave trade routes of N. Africa to the middle east. Anyone have more accurate info on origins?

-Dorson

Hi All!

I recently aquired this pair of handcuffs for my humble collection. Had to trade in an August Schwarz Gestapo used lead chain to get the price down to a reasonable level.



Excellent craftmanship, but I have never seen this type of handcuff before. At first when I saw it I thought that it was a modified plug handcuffs, because of the holes in the tube, but its for its strange key.





Its marked BC on one link and thats it.



Any of You seen such a pair before or have any ideas of origin and age? I believe it to be northeuropean around 1700, buts thats just an unqualified guess.


Compared to a set of Peerless 400.


Best regards, and thanks,

Jim - Denmark

Click to expand...

The barbed spring design is one of the earliest for locks. The Vikings, early Romans and other european countries used it. Asians still use it for chest locks. The design of the cuff would denote it age before the lock mechanism I would think.

Ian

Hi All!

I recently aquired this pair of handcuffs for my humble collection. Had to trade in an August Schwarz Gestapo used lead chain to get the price down to a reasonable level.



Excellent craftmanship, but I have never seen this type of handcuff before. At first when I saw it I thought that it was a modified plug handcuffs, because of the holes in the tube, but its for its strange key.





Its marked BC on one link and thats it.



Any of You seen such a pair before or have any ideas of origin and age? I believe it to be northeuropean around 1700, buts thats just an unqualified guess.


Compared to a set of Peerless 400.


Best regards, and thanks,

Jim - Denmark

Click to expand...

Hi all:
I just sold a fig 8 version of this cuff on ebay several months ago
the springs had been replaced but i suspect it is same manufacturer
the hinges are the same as well as the overall thickness
i believe the photo is still floating around somewhere. It ended up in a collection in the UK