Lilley? Plug 8

Finally I've manage to trade for some handcuffs I was after, but this one seems unique. The obvious comparison is with the usual Lilley, but it has a hollow plug to cover the square head bolt. The bolt screws straight into the plate- not another tube like the usual Lilley. A design fault in this cuff in my opinion - not enough thread. The plug itself is like British plugs in concept but the threads on plug and bolt are finer, like American cuffs. I wonder if this is a forerunner to the long bar Lilley?
Paul

Paul

Would you please post a photo of the entire cuff next to a Lilly so I can get a better sense of the similarities.
Thanks
Matt

Wow!  This is a new one. Neat.

Hi Paul,
Interesting cuff.  I agree with you that the plug look like it could be British.  It is nicely made and the hinges look well made.  The Lilly style of cuff has been used long before "our Lilly's" and this could be a "forerunner".  It is interesting how short it is compared to what we are use to seeing.  Great find.  Are there any markings on the inside bars?
Ron

Paul nice find!!! Congratulations on 2 nice pieces

Matt, I think you need to login to see the full photos or I can send you some. There are no markings on the cuff at all. I can make out are 2 pins or screws used to attach the lock tube to the plate which were then ground down flush. I do not think it is British, it's just that it uses a similar plug to some British cuffs but the threads are not like British cuffs and it has the addition of a hollow in the plug to cover the captive square bolt head. To me it screams Lilly. Everything about it can be found in cuffs of different countries of origin - the British plug, the German cuff where I have seen Lilly style irons with a hasp, the Kidd design which use a hasp and then there are all the features of a Lilly. All these things are borrowed.

Thanks Paul. I was able to open the photos to see the cuffs in full view. I agree it smacks of Lilly. Nice find.

Matt

Wow! A really nice and odd piece! Congratulations!
My thoughts goes to England. It very well might be a forerunner to the Lilly.

Lars

That is a great cuff! Awesome find! t raises a lot of questions. By looking at them, i dont think it was made by Lilly, but i dont doubt that Lilly used it to design his own. If that is the case tho, i wonder why Lilly would leave the plug out of his design? Maybe he considered it to be a part that would be easily lost? Probably questions we will never know the answers to. Still, a great piece of restraint history!
-Richard Knip-