Unknown "petite" pre-1850 Handcuff + Leg Iron Combination

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Hi Nils,

Very nice find!
I hope I will have a chance to see this in person next October.

I wil pm you about some of your other property on FB.


mark
O--O

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

Hi Nils, great find, could you take a photo of the lock mechanism? sad the cover is missing but great to be able to see it's inner workings.

Ian

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

Hi Nils,

my congratulations on your find, very good! Do you think that your restraint comes from the same maker as this one:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/261154/m ... t+Auctions

The shape of the bow is different, but the overall design of the handcuffs seems to be identical.

Thank you very much for sharing the pictures!

Best wishes,

Michael

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

That Spanish Execution Manacle is also what came to my mind, but this style seems to be also common in Southern Germany and Austria. Michael, I'd say it's somewhat lighter than yours. Very similar, but the style was probably copied from somewhere in a time when I don't think patents existed, or machine tools.

Interestingly both this one (left) and my other Austrian Cuff (right) both miss the lock cover. The locks themselves seem intact.

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

There never was a "Spanish Execution Manacle." Houdini coined the term but IMHO the cuff he named this was German.

If one goes by when this sort of manacle was actually made, i.e. early 1600's to the mid 1700's and one looks at the methods of execution popular at the time in both Germany and Spain it is pretty obvious that such a cuff would not have been part of any execution.

There was breaking with the wheel, (ropes were used to tie the criminal), beheading by sword or axe, (once again, ropes were used), and burning at the stake, (wrists were tied with ropes and then a long heavy chain was wrapped around the waist or body).

Steve Santini

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

Thanks Nils

Hello everybody,
I was lucky enough to pick up this combination restraint. Next to the handcuffs is a chain and a set of leg irons that came attached to them. It was sold to me as either coming from Germany or Austria.

What's interesting is that the leg irons are the smallest type cup shackle I have ever seen; the chain is also rather thin, but it is secure enough. I'd date this set somewhere between 1600 and 1850. The cover to the handcuff lock is sadly missing, but the lock works.

On the third photograph I added another (handcuff) cup shackle for size comparison, the last picture shows two other similar type cuffs from my collection.

Have a great Sunday,
Nils

Click to expand...

Hi again,

and thank you, Nils, for the additional picture and you, Steve, for the information!

Best wishes

Michael