Cuff of the Day for April 10. Cuffs with Interesting Owner Marks

This is the Cuff of the Day stream.  Today we are featuring cuffs with interesting owner marks.  
There are lots of possibilities. What can you share with us?

My Cuff of the Day is a Bean-Cobb that was used by the Eire Rail Road.
I bought mine years ago in the pre-internet era, but a similar one sold on eBay quite a few years ago. 
It was sold by a dealer who specialized in railroad collectibles and the price realized was very high for such a common cuff.
I am pretty sure that it was bought by a collector of railroad items.
Joe

Hi Joe, very nice RR memorabilia. I happen to remember a pair on ebay selling like 5 times the normal price for the bean cuff that you have. RR collectors and euthiasts can be fanatical. I worked on a vintage Pullman train all restored and was towed behind a amtrak engine.

People would line up for miles at a time to video record us passing by. We called those pholks foamers. I also had a amazing Colorado history professor in college that stated trains are a teachers worst nightmare because their is always somebody who knows more.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

This was a very hard topic you picked Joe!

I don't have a single cuff with company markings in my collection. The only two marked cuffs I have are these.
The first is a Bean Detective, the lightest version of Bean and also the rarest. These cuffs once belonged to a police officer who marked them with his name
and duty number.
The markings took me several years to notice as they are so tiny. "Gardner A809971"

The other set is a Hiatt Sheffield pattern with the letters "H H" (or possibly H R) stamped on both sides. No, I don't believe they belonged to Harry Houdini.

My first cuff for today is a blatant fake. It's a brass Chinese cuff that we are supposed to believe was used by the Wells Fargo Company in the old west.  At first sight, it had so many red flags that I knew that I just had to have it in my collection. Just imagine a brass time-traveling swing through cuff made by the Chinese in the late 1800s used by the world-famous Wells Fargo Company.  What luck! It must be worth a small fortune LOL! 



Pic 02



Pic 03

This is a pair of Smith & Wesson Model 91 handcuffs made for the Guatemala Police.
They are marked, GUARDIA CIVIL GUATEMALA, C.A.
No serial number on this example.
Bottom of box is marked GUATEMALA with a white grease pencil.
Dave

There are a few in the collection which are stamped with their owner's mark.
The first one is a leg iron (Hiatt?) marked with the Israeli police logo.  I know that the police are currently using Hiatt handcuffs but are not marked like this example.  I know, I asked a cop.
___________
N.Y. Co.  This Tower could also be in the Ugly Cuff category from the other day.  Manhattan is located within New York County boundaries.
Here is some interesting info;
The first Sheriff of New York County, Jan Lampo, was in office in 1626, although his title was "Schout".
A schout was appointed by the lord (heer) of a domain (heerlijkheid) and acted in the lord's name in the local day-to-day administration of the domain, especially the administration of justice. 
A schout had three main functions: administration, law enforcement and criminal prosecution.
___________
The rather ordinary Darby is marked S.P.F.  
Regarding the blog from the other day, I have also known this to be duty cuffs for members of the Singapore Police Force.

Sorry for the bad photos Hudson Darby with a WRC stamp

Thanks to everyone who commented on my Maltby's from yesterday.
I appreciate the nice feedback!
This Maltby is not going to surpass the interest from the one in the box, but it is still a super nice addition to the collection.

Another piece of eye candy!

Fred - Your Hudson cuff is quite rare. I have only seen a couple of others.   WRC  is West Riding Constabulary

Mark -  I have a St.Louis Worlds Fair, but I have not seen the US Secret Service.  Nice!

My 2nd cuff for the day is from Japan and are stamped with a Samurai Warrior and a dog. Also marked Kota Manchu.

 

Close up

This cuff is not marked with an owners mark but I do know who the owner was and he used these cuffs each time he arrested a member of the Shankill Butchers of Belfast.
There were 23 members of this terrorist organization and I am not sure how many were captured by Officer George Walton.  I do have the records, however.
He was awarded these medals from the Queen.
Two thing are odd about these cuffs.  Why is the Royal Ulster Constabulary using cuffs from Australia?  and  Why would the family sell these cuffs to me along with many newspaper clippings and other documentation?  
I asked about the family treasure, but all I got was that they no longer had interest in these artifacts.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Butchers

Mark, your Maltby makes me envious. Such a great selection. I'm unfortunately not that strong on US cuffs.

Lars, the grass is always greener on the other side or as you Euro guys say: The cherry trees on the neighbors side has better fruit.
I would love to have your Finish and German cuffs, Kakolas, Swertfegers, and Muhenfelds.
You already have these cuffs in your collection which feature the finest craftsmanship anywhere on the planet.
Vintage American cuffs do offer the finest in any manufacturing process but I have better access to them as do you on yours.
I am fortunate to have some of what you have and you certainly have some mint condition cuffs that any American collector dreams about.
Collectors always want it all but one must be happy with what they have and enjoy the hunt along the way.
Now we must all work together and persuade the Cannons to reintroduce their conventions!

The story behind the two cuffs. One, of course, is the older style Peerless and the other the H&R Super cuffs. I found the Peerless floating around on ebay. Threw a bid in and won this cuff about 10 years ago. When I got it in, i noticed the stamp for "GHP" on the swing arm. I believe that would stand for Georgia Highway Patrol? Then fast forward 7 years past that and I end up at The Crossroads of America Lock Show. I walked around and looked for some deals. The turn out for cuff guys, was low, compared to the turnout of Padlock and key collectors. Besides the room that has the cuff displays in it, there was one other pair of cuffs on a gentleman's table, along with keys, locks and may padlocks. It was this pair of H&R Super Cuffs. I checked them over and seen the "GHP" stamp on the swing arm. I tried to remember what the other stamp looked like, but couldnt. I negotiated with the seller and bought them. Upon getting them home and comparing them, side by side, i noticed i had a match! I had found a cuff, with the same stamp, in a completely different part of the country, 7 years apart! They have the same stamping, in about the same spot with the same font! I have never found another cuff stamped with the "GHP."
-Richard Knip-

Richard, your early Peerless, serial no. 61391 with the marking GHP are Peerless Model 2 Version 5 and were part of the April 12, 1927 contract between Peerless and Smith & Wesson, beginning with serial number 61001. The first delivery of 1200 handcuffs out of this contract, was to start in January 1928, but they apparently were ahead of schedule. I have serial number 61494 that Peerless records show, they were sold to E.S. Sherwood of Ottawa, CA. on Dec. 8, 1927.

This example is a Peerless Model 1 Version 1, manufactured by Smith & Wesson, that have the officers name & badge number engraved on them:
D. C. HUGE  *   207.  O.P.D.
I have tried to find out who he was, but no luck yet. I acquired them out of the San Francisco Bay area, and thought he might be out of the Oakland Police Department, but have been unsuccessful verifying that.
Dave
 

Wow! That is impressive, David! Thank you for the additional information on what I have! I was right for once! LOL! I had gone through and i.d.'d all of my early Peerless stuff, a few weeks ago. This one was identified as the Model 2, Version 5!
-Richard Knip-

Mark, you are right. The grass is always greener on the other side but your Malay are still exceptional. 

I have a final cuff which is a modern Peerless, stamped “NYC”.
These are steel but kind of odd as they carry the patent number for the aluminum version.

Sorry for misspelling, Maltby.
It’s too late here...

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

Mark, you are right. The grass is always greener on the other side but your Malay are still exceptional. 

I have a final cuff which is a modern Peerless, stamped “NYC”.
These are steel but kind of odd as they carry the patent number for the aluminum version.

I believe your Peerless cuffs with Pat. 2,759,349, are a Model 4 Version 3 available in 10 oz steel, 7 oz steel (lightweight) and 4.5 oz. aluminum.
Dave

 I bought this cuff at an antique slot machine and juke box show, then sold it to Stan. He said that he knew of Joe Moses and that he was trying to obtain his gold badge.
Later when he was selling his collection I bought it back plus the badge. Stan had done research on John Norris and Joe Moses and gave me the file on the research.

Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

This cuff is not marked with an owners mark but I do know who the owner was and he used these cuffs each time he arrested a member of the Shankill Butchers of Belfast.
There were 23 members of this terrorist organization and I am not sure how many were captured by Officer George Walton.  I do have the records, however.
He was awarded these medals from the Queen.
Two thing are odd about these cuffs.  Why is the Royal Ulster Constabulary using cuffs from Australia?  and  Why would the family sell these cuffs to me along with many newspaper clippings and other documentation?  
I asked about the family treasure, but all I got was that they no longer had interest in these artifacts.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankill_Butchers

Click to expand...

the script is misleading, the cuffs were made in the 1950'60's and he would have only used them while he lived and worked in Qld Australia

Oorah Cuffs and 1 of 19.

The U.S.M.C cuffs, I find to be very rare.  There must be many but this is the only one I have seen.  I have the matching Leg Irons which are stamped just the same.  I have had a few leg irons and probably seen a few in other collections.  They seem to be much more plentiful.

The Salem Jail is most likely from Massachusetts or Washington but there are 17 other Salem's in the world.
Could it be that these were from the Baden-Wuerttemberg area Salem and Michael missed them?
1 United States Oregon Salem 2 United States Utah Salem 3 United States South Dakota Salem 4 United States Arkansas Salem 5 United States Missouri Salem 6 United States Illinois Salem 7 United States Wisconsin Salem 8 United States Indiana Salem 9 United States North Carolina Salem 10 United States Ohio Salem 11 United States West Virginia Salem 12 United States Virginia Salem 13 United States New Jersey Salem 14 United States Connecticut Salem 15 United States New Hampshire Salem 16 United States Massachusetts Salem 17 Germany Baden-Wuerttemberg Salem 18 India Tamil Nadu Salem 19 Indonesia Central Java

Nice Nipper, Gordon.
As you may remember, I have one too but the name and date on yours puts it over the top.

John Goncz made some interesting handcuffs and guns.  A very creative mind allowed him to invent one of the first LED movie studio lights, tactical flashlights, medical devices and more.  I spent quite a bit of time with him and always had some interesting conversations.  I do not remember if he ever met Arnold Swartzenegger or not.  His guns were featured in many of his action films.
He was very creative in marketing too.
He manufactured these well made cuffs samples and gold plated them.  He would send them off to Chiefs of Police around the world and try to get some contracts in the works.  These Chiefs loved their golden cuffs and would buy some.  I believe his largest sale was for the Los Angeles Sheriff Department Transportation Unit.
These cuffs were made and stamped PNP for the Peruvian National Police. 
I have some for sale or trade if interested.

It's so interesting to see these cuffs with owner markings engraved.  I almost purchased a nice set of Hiatt 104s with a prison marking from eBay once upon a time, but alas it got away.  All I've got are a pair of SPF 115's and my JG1952's which I am not sure if that is an owners mark engraving or just the maker and designation of the cuff itself.
Can't wait to see tomorrows topic!

RyanVaene wrote: ↑

Apr 11, 2020

 JG1952's 

Is that a broad-arrow mark at the end of the numbers? designates Government property.

The date stamped on the JG cuff is a factory stamp. I have a pair, like those, in my collection. But, yours does look like it may have the Broad Arrow Government stamp, that Ian mentioned above. Mine do not have that.
-Richard Knip-

dltvette wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

Mark, you are right. The grass is always greener on the other side but your Malay are still exceptional. 

I have a final cuff which is a modern Peerless, stamped “NYC”.
These are steel but kind of odd as they carry the patent number for the aluminum version.

I believe your Peerless cuffs with Pat. 2,759,349, are a Model 4 Version 3 available in 10 oz steel, 7 oz steel (lightweight) and 4.5 oz. aluminum.
Dave

Click to expand...

Thanks Dave!
I'm not very knowledgeable in all Peerless and S&W versions as they are so many. I also have the 7 oz steel version but it has the same patent number as the ordinary; 1531451-1872857.
Only my 4,5 oz has the same number as these. I will never learn all these models and versions.

Lars

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Apr 11, 2020

dltvette wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

holstcollection wrote: ↑

Apr 10, 2020

Mark, you are right. The grass is always greener on the other side but your Malay are still exceptional. 

I have a final cuff which is a modern Peerless, stamped “NYC”.
These are steel but kind of odd as they carry the patent number for the aluminum version.

I believe your Peerless cuffs with Pat. 2,759,349, are a Model 4 Version 3 available in 10 oz steel, 7 oz steel (lightweight) and 4.5 oz. aluminum.
Dave

Thanks Dave!
I'm not very knowledgeable in all Peerless and S&W versions as they are so many. I also have the 7 oz steel version but it has the same patent number as the ordinary; 1531451-1872857.
Only my 4,5 oz has the same number as these. I will never learn all these models and versions.

Lars

Click to expand...

Lars,
The 7 oz Peerless with the patent numbers 1531451-1872857, were manufactured after the Model 3 Version 3 and before the Model 3 Version 4. According to Chris Gill, these were "lightweight steel" cuffs sold from Dec. 1962 to Nov. 1982. He said there was always a problem with the key post coming loose because the cheek plates were thin and the pin couldn't get a good bite to hold it in place. After these were discontinued, the Model 3 resumed with the Model 3, Version 4.
The example I have of the"lightweight steel" version, with serial number 27292 (they had their own serial number range), were sold to George Cake, Berkeley, CA on Nov. 14, 1967 per Peerless records.
Dave

Clarksdale, Mississippi. Founded 1848. Northwestern MS, south of Memphis on the Miss River. Last count a little over 16,000 souls. Listed as an agricultural and trading center. Billed as the home of the Blues and Rock and Roll.

The badge is a treasure. Found it in an antique mall in Indianapolis in 1997. The Tower Beans not so much other than the markings. Got them on eBay a few years later, the seller mislabeled them and nobody was interested but me.

Pics won’t upload so will continue with the texts and up load later.

Providence County, RI. Second variation of the Tower Bottom Key. Home of the famous Providence Tool Co. maker of the only American Darby, c1860 (now there’s a Darby I can get into - not literally) and the beloved Peabody rifle c.1867. I’m a member of the internationally based Peabody Collectors Association. We have, maybe eight members, mostly in Central California, but a couple of the guys are talking about dropping out. You have to own at least one Peabody rifle to join. We’re talking about eventually having a meeting, but....

One of the first old cuffs I ever got. Picked up the badge years later at a police collectors show in Illinois.

Pics still won’t upload. Onward.

Here is my set of U.S. Secret Service Maltby’s.



Mark, I got these in an antique mall in downtown San Diego 25 years ago. Guy there was always bringing in old cuffs. No idea who he was. Any chance yours came out of the City also?

Pics still won’t load so quitting for now.

Brad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Brad,
I just don't remember where I got mine.  I can look but maybe it was from Stan's collection.
My ex sister in law had a Caveny on her wall and I got the collecting bug from her when I finally talked her out of it.
I picked up a nice Mattatuck from a local swap meet.
That is about it for any San Diego finds.
The Pomona Gun Show is where I really stared advancing my collection.
That was incredible!
Anti gun nuts ruined an amazing resource for all kinds of hobbies.

If you want to, send me your pics.  I can post them for you. 

As Ian and Richard both pointed out, my JG 1952 cuffs do have the broad arrow mark, designating they were owned by the British Military, I believe. One of my favorite cuffs,

Hi Mark, Happy Easter and Passover to all.

I just tried again and still can’t upload pics. Says to send Tapatalk an error msg. Sent them about 2 dozen now, but know they aren’t fixing anything today.

I was posting okay then it quit.

I’ll try again tomorrow, if it doesn’t work will send them to you. Best way... PM here, or?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And yes, those left wing buttheads ruined the best show ever, just because there were guns in it. Stay out of LA County!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brad try again and if no luck, I think you can click on my signature icon at the left (with HH) and it will give you my email or at the least, access to PM me.
The ignorant left wingers knew it was a gun show so they complained that state property should not be a venue to sell guns.
What they did not realize is that many antique dealers in fishing reals and flies, autographs, bottles, handcuffs, cowboy attire and boots, food vendors, old pens knives, historic photos, horse blankets, army and navy collectibles and so much more were being bought sold and traded.  I believe firearms were in the minority of gross sales.
I don't know if the county or state misses the revenue they received from admission tickets and table sales or not.
I guess they could just raise taxes to offset any loss.
It was great while it lasted!

Ok Mark. PM’d them to you here. Funny that worked but they won’t upload.

Was talking with Spencer this morning about Providence and Peabody. If this works, I’ll send you pics of a Peabody rifle. Wonderful go-with item from one of America’s greatest manufacturers.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Big time collector and super nice guy, Brad asked me to post some nice marked cuffs from his collection due to his computer not communicating properly on this site.
I took some "liberties" to get them posted here.
VERY nice additions to our discussion and I like how you included appropriate badges with your cuffs.
I only collect San Diego Sheriff badges but I like his idea very much!

A nice Secret Service Maltby with great plating.
Clarksdale, Mississippi Police Dept. Tower Bean with Badge
Providence County Bottom Key Beautifully Engraved Tower....what? ...  not a Providence Tool?
It looks like it might have an original short Peerless key with it.  Date on the clevis and not on the lock body too.

I think I got all of them.

Thanks so much, Mark. Really nice job.

Heard from Tapatalk. Hopefully get fixed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wanted to share a couple pics of the Peabody rifle. PTCs finest achievement and cause of death.

Although Henry Peabody got his patents around 1862, it was 1865 before they finished the final touches and were ready to start shipping. So guess what, the American Civil War ended, no more guns were needed and all contracts were cancelled, even though PTC had a large contract with the Army.

Uh oh, all that development money and no customers. Eventually a fair number of foreign orders came in and production got started.

Several countries placed large orders and then stiffed PTC and they were stuck with inventory they had to sell on small markets.

PTC just couldn’t handle the financial stress and folded up mid 1870s.

The Peabody rifle saw no US military use other than Connecticut National Guard, Massachusetts National Guard and South Carolina National Guard. All the rest in the US went for buffalo hunting, deer hunting later or target competition.

The top rifle is the Connecticut NG version in 45-70. The middle is a made-for-export military in .43 Spanish (.433 Rem). The bottom is a rare saddle ring carbine in .50 Peabody rimfire.

Well, still can’t upload. Will send to Mark.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A  Tower Bar Cuff and a regular pair of Towers both marked Wells Fargo.  Each one came from a different source.
Ron

Ron, that Tower Bar Cuff is amazing! Great find!
-Richard Knip-

Brad asked me to share these photos of his Peabody arms.  His computer does not work as well as his rifles probably does.
I am sure I didn't give much thought to it, but one would have had to imagine that the Providence Tool Company made some fine weapons as well as some the cuffs.
Nice to actually see something other than cuffs from this company.  Would be even better to shoot them.

Wanted to share a couple pics of the Peabody rifle. PTCs finest achievement and cause of death.

Although Henry Peabody got his patents around 1862, it was 1865 before they finished the final touches and were ready to start shipping. So guess what, the American Civil War ended, no more guns were needed and all contracts were cancelled, even though PTC had a large contract with the Army.
Uh oh, all that development money and no customers. Eventually a fair number of foreign orders came in and production got started.
Several countries placed large orders and then stiffed PTC and they were stuck with inventory they had to sell on small markets.
PTC just couldn’t handle the financial stress and folded up mid 1870s.
The Peabody rifle saw no US military use other than Connecticut National Guard, Massachusetts National Guard and South Carolina National Guard. All the rest in the US went for buffalo hunting, deer hunting later or target competition.
The top rifle is the Connecticut NG version in 45-70. The middle is a made-for-export military in .43 Spanish (.433 Rem). The bottom is a rare saddle ring carbine in .50 Peabody rimfire.

Thank you again, Mark. Nice job!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some marked cuffs / shackles.  If I'm not mistaken, the date on the shackles is 1550.

For one of the next rounds maybe oldest cuff / movie props / first cuff in collection / Lars' favorites? :)

I forgot about these.
Sheriff Joe signed many pink handcuffs in his day.
The Youth Assistance Foundation was selling the toy cuffs and my sheriff department send some Peerless and ASP cuffs to him so he could sign them and we would use them as a fund raiser.
He was getting death threats at the time so I was not able to pick them up in person to meet him.
I was able to get them back from his assistant who met me in a parking lot at a Scottsdale shopping center, however.
Here is where the story gets interesting;
I was spending Thanksgiving in Phoenix when I met Sheriff Joe's assistant the day after Thanksgiving.  We talked about the pink handcuffs they use in the jails and the differences between his department and mine among other topics.  We hung out for about an hour and we both had to get to our left over turkey dinners so we concluded our fine conversation.
When I got back to town a few days later, my internet company called me to put me on notice that I was no longer allowed to download illegal "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies' or I would be criminally investigated and charged.
I was perplexed by this and told them that I have no interest in the movie other than that I am friends with the property master and have this pic of me wearing Johnny Depp's hat and flintlock from the movie.
I asked about when this supposed illegal download occurred and was told it was the day after Thanksgiving at about 5:00 PM.
I asked if they ever heard of Sheriff Joe of Maricopa County, which they did, of course.
I told them "Have I got an alibi for you!"
End of story!

Wow, 
2 years went by fast since this blog originated.

In all that time, all I was able to pick up were these two cuffs with their locations/origins marked upon them.

A Tower DL from Durham, North Carolina and a Seattle Police Peerless marked cuffs.

Durham was an important tobacco growing area in the mid 1800's and Bull Durham brand tobacco was favored by many.
The local Duke family rose to power when they owned and operated the American Tobacco company. They delved into electric power in later years and became the power source for the entire area.
The philanthropic foundation of the Dukes supported the local university for a while and it is now known as Duke University in their honor.

The city is also known for the civil rights improvements.  The famous six month sit-in at Woolworths and Martin Luther King appearances were among the events that changed history.
King coined his famous rallying cry "Fill up the jails" while attending a local church.  Change, while slow, came about due to these events occurring in the city.


There must be many, but this Seattle PD Peerless is the first cuff that I have seen marked as such.

djhalfdead wrote: ↑

Apr 11, 2020

The date stamped on the JG cuff is a factory stamp. I have a pair, like those, in my collection. But, yours does look like it may have the Broad Arrow Government stamp, that Ian mentioned above. Mine do not have that.
-Richard Knip-

Both of my JG Darby’s have that arrow stamp, one of those I have on eBay right now. To many doubles lol

I forgot about this one.
I would like to run the serial number with Peerless and see if Detroit Police bought these cuffs directly or from a supplier.
I know that there are a few of these out there.

Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs wrote: ↑

Apr 13, 2022

Wow, 
2 years went by fast since this blog originated.

In all that time, all I was able to pick up were these two cuffs with their locations/origins marked upon them.

A Tower DL from Durham, North Carolina and a Seattle Police Peerless marked cuffs.

Durham was an important tobacco growing area in the mid 1800's and Bull Durham brand tobacco was favored by many.
The local Duke family rose to power when they owned and operated the American Tobacco company. They delved into electric power in later years and became the power source for the entire area.
The philanthropic foundation of the Dukes supported the local university for a while and it is now known as Duke University in their honor.

The city is also known for the civil rights improvements.  The famous six month sit-in at Woolworths and Martin Luther King appearances were among the events that changed history.
King coined his famous rallying cry "Fill up the jails" while attending a local church.  Change, while slow, came about due to these events occurring in the city.


There must be many, but this Seattle PD Peerless is the first cuff that I have seen marked as such.

Click to expand...

Did I see this Tower on eBay a while back maybe? Ron J

The Great Escape and Blackpool Police
When I was young, I recall watching the 1963 classic movie, The Great Escape.  It starred Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough and a cast of many others.
In the film, the captured prisoners of war are imprisoned in a WWll prison camp or Stalag.
They band together and cleverly design a tunnel system and finally escape....but not for long as the Gestapo are hot on their trail and recapture them where many are shot on the spot.
I never gave it much thought where or who wrote the story but recently, I discovered that the story is based on real events.
Most of us know of this movie or seen it but not many know the "rest of the story".
The movie ends without telling the audience what happened afterwards.
In the real story, the Gestapo tracks down 50 of the escaped allied forces and assassinates them.  Blackpool Police and other British agents form an investigation team to track down the Gestapo war criminals with the motive to bring them to justice.

When researching the real story, I came upon a hand engraved Blackpool Police handcuff and knew that I must have it.
I did win it and was pleased that it arrived from Liverpool in the Uk to me in California in 6 days.   The super seller sent it out without the problematic Global Shipping service that we all hate.
Still retaining most of its plating, it also has an original key.
Could these handcuffs have been used to restrain the Gestapo offenders?  Doubtful but maybe since the 356 member Blackpool County Borough Police ceased to exist on April 1st.1969.  On that date, it was merged to form the Lancashire Constabulary.  The cuff is the Superintendent model and was often used by detectives as they are small and lightweight, so it makes it slightly more plausible that these could have belonged to Detective Frank McKenna and used to arrest the Gestapo officers.
 

If only these could talk!




Murder of Great Escapers and the mission of the Blackpool police to track down their Nazi killers


The Gestapo was the secret police and main machinery for destruction of the Nazis. They were also given orders to shoot and kill the Great Escapers. Photo Source: The History Place

The near end of The Great Escape is one of the most tragic episodes in history. Most of the prisoners who tried to flee and who were captured were shot by Nazi Gestapo officers following shoot-to-kill orders to all “runners”.

The order came from Adolf Hitler himself. He was reportedly furious of the news of 76 Allies who broke out of a high-security camp Stalag Luft III. Of the 76 men, 50 were gunned down. Following the signing of the Geneva Convention, the atrocity was recorded as one of the worst war crimes against Britain.
March 2019 was the 75th anniversary of the escape of the men. They made their escape by digging a tunnel on their way to freedom. The making of the popular Hollywood film with stars Steve McQueen and Richard Attenborough was inspired by the escape.
The 76 Allied airmen made their escape on March 24, 1944. Only three safely made it back to Britain. The 50 men who were captured were soon executed. They were told to take a break and relieve themselves before their drive back to camp. When they turned their backs, the men were shot by the Nazi Gestapo. Their dead bodies were then taken away for cremation.
Then Foreign Secretary and later on Prime Minister, Anthony Eden, heard of the news of the massacre of the men and ordered for the tracking down of the responsible Nazis. A team led by a detective from Blackpool tracked down the Nazis who executed the 50 men.
After the Allied victoriously defeated the Germans, the Nazis perpetrators of the execution of 50 airmen were dispersed all over Europe. Many of these had bore different identities. The team leader who spearheaded the task of tracking down the perpetrators was Detective Frank McKenna of Blackpool. He was also known as Sherlock Holmes. He used to serve in the Bomber Command.
Eighteen months after the massacre of the 50 men, McKenna’s team started their investigation. However, they were at a dilemma on where to start because there were no clues left to the crime scene and there were no witnesses.
For McKenna, the mission was more than just orders and duty. It was personal. Two of his friends were among the 50 men shot. These were Flight Lieutenant Edgar Humphreys and Flying Officer Robert Stewart. The men were previously stationed at RAF Squires Gate in Blackpool.
His brother-in-law Howard Luck was also among the original group which planned on escaping at Stalag Luft III. However, he turned back because he ran out of time escaping.
The team has a “most wanted” list of the missing Nazis responsible for the mass execution. They started to look for leads. They researched records from the prison camp and record offices. While looking for the men, they uncovered atrocities of many other Nazis as well.
They finally made an arrest when a suspicious guest alerted a Hamburg hotelier and tipped off the team. The guest, who pretended to be French, was Ernst Kah. His name is on No. 12 of the team’s “most wanted” list. He is the known head of the SS intelligence division. To lighten his sentence, he tried to cooperate with the team and gave them information of the names of the other Nazis and their whereabouts.


The film, The Great Escape (1963), was inspired by the real-life story of 76 Allied airmen who escaped Stalag Luft III, a German prison camp.

Some of the Nazis on the list were discovered in prisons under false identities. One disguised himself and worked for the U.S. Army. The unknowing Allies thought that he was “harmless” and gave placed him in the port of Bremen working as a customs clerk. McKenna surprised Zacharias and arrested him during his shift at work.

Zacharias is responsible for the shooting of squadron leader Thomas Kirby-Green and Canadian flying officer Gordon Kidde. He is also accused of the rape and murder of an 18 year-old Czech receptionist who heard him beating a RAF prisoner.
Zacharias tried to escape from the custody of the United States but he was recaptured. McKenna found him at his home scampering to pack and leave town. When he was in England, he, again, attempted to flee digging his way out of jail. He was again recaptured.
Zacharias, who was found guilty and waiting for his final punishment gave McKenna a Rolex watch. He offered the watch as  thank-you gift for being the “only one who has been really fair” to Zacharias. McKenna was said to be the only one who did not beat the Nazi. The watch is now worth £10,000.
McKenna also arrested Emil Schulz. He is said to be the one who shot the plot leader of the Great Escape, Flight Commander Roger Bushell. Bushell was played by Richard Attenborough in the Hollywood film about the men’s escape.
During McKenna’s investigation, he found out that Schulz only served little time with the Nazis. He also shot Bushell out of fear of being killed for disobedience. He was delivered his sentence and executed. McKenna secretly sent a message to Schulz’s widow.
The team also arrested Nazi Johannes Post who was said to be the ring leader of the executions and delighted in the act. By 1948, there were 44 Gestapo arrested. Thirty were tried, 17 were jailed while 13 were executed. Eleven still await trial while only 3 were acquitted.
This investigation was not an easy task. The investigation took up two years. Over 100,000 interviews were conducted.
Frank McKenna was awarded with an OBE for his remarkable detective work. However, the mission of the team was not really that popular. He then returned to his original work as detective at Blackpool. He volunteered for the war, but being a detective, he was restricted to the job and was kept out of the battlefield.
When the Bomber Command began to experience heavy losses, they started to allow detectives like McKenna to enlist.
By 1941, the family had already had their share of loss. He and his wife had two sons. Terry, 9 and eldest, was killed when a car hit him. Ian, the couple’s second son, then a toddler said that his father never really recovered from the loss.
The Mirror reports that McKenna joined the RAF during the Second World War. He survived the war making it to 30 missions as a flight engineer. He died in 1994 at age 87. He was honored in a memorial ceremony of the Great Escape held at the RAF church in St. Clement Danes, London a month after his death.  

I bid on those as well, Mark! Congratulations on winning a beautiful set of cuffs! You did an outstanding job on research those! They will look great in your collection.
-Richard Knip-

Thank you, Richard.

I always liked it when eBay allowed a bidder to see who was also bidding so that we could talk about it before we shot the price up on each other.
One notable collector and I would alternate on whos turn it is to snag a nice cuff.  Sometimes we picked "odds or evens" and if the final price was $123.45, the guy who picked odd would get to keep it.
In the day, I was making real good money and I would place a minimal bid so others could see I was on it, and this was an invite to to others to contact me to make a deal.  If, I bid on it, I usually sniped it very high.  I overpaid for some of the stuff I won, but I was able to offset it my working harder or longer at my job.
These days, quality cuffs are so infrequently found and bidder ID's are masked, so it pits collector friends against each other.
Discussing it on this forum or others, advertises a nice cuff so everyone can chime in and bid, making a new acquisition even more difficult.
eBay was smart, financially to block ID's, but made it harder for those subscribing to it.
Win some, lose some!

I have an arrangement with a big dog in the collecting game. If we are both after the same cuff, i set my limit and he sets his. Whichever is highest, i bid that number. If the auction is won and its under my limit, i keep it. If it goes over my limit but my account still wins it, he pays me for it and i pay off the auction and send the cuffs to him. We have both gotten some great stuff that way. His pockets are way deeper than mine, so most of the cuffs go to him, anyway. But, i get a few nice pieces here and there. This way, we dont outbid each other or run the prices up on each other. Thats the issue with such a small collectors community. Inevitably you will be bidding with and against close friends. Just part of the "thrill of the hunt." I often get messages and emails from close friends that ask me to lay off of a certain cuff that they want, and ask the same of them, when i see something I want. But, most guys know that I do not hoard. If i already have the cuffs and mine are in better shape, I wont be bidding on them. If i already have them but the ones for sale are in better shape than mine, i will bid on them, but sell my old set back to the market to keep spreading out the more rare cuffs are give others the possibility of owning them. No use for me to own 8 pairs of a cuff that only 10 pairs were made. I would rather see others enjoying the other pairs as well. Im not into collecting for an investment, so I have no desire to corner the market on something and artificially drive the prices up. Just the way I run my ship, anyway. I try to be as fair as I can to others in the collecting hobby.
-Richard Knip-

These arrived today.
They took a week to get from Liverpool to Not So Sunny California in 1 week.
I am very pleased.  Original key and they work great.
Thanks go to retired Sergeant Bob Dobson from Blackpool who had these and even more thanks goes to his wife who told him to get rid of them.
Marked "Hiatt Best Warranted Wrought, 52, Hard".

Richard, I sure wish there was another one for you!
Maybe Joe can guess what year or timeframe these may be from with the "H" stamping on the cap.

 Mark
Hard to judge age, but I would guess that these were early 20th century.
Nice ones.
Joe

A new addition to the collection and one which has an interesting Owner Mark on it.

This Tower Double Lock is marked "DSH"

A search under DSH produced 3 results that are the most likely to be equated with handcuff usage.  All 3 are related to mental health care facilities.

The most plausible designation is;
The Department of State Hospitals (DSH) manages the California state hospital system, which provides mental health services to patients admitted into DSH facilities. The department strives to provide effective treatment in a safe environment and in a fiscally responsible manner.
DSH oversees five state hospitals – Atascadero, Coalinga, Metropolitan (in Los Angeles County), Napa and Patton.

Danville State Hospital (DSH) in Danville, Pennsylvania is a mental health facility operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. It was Pennsylvania's third public facility to house the mentally ill and disabled.  It opened in 1872.

The Danvers State Hospital  (DSH) also known as the State Lunatic Hospital at Danvers, The Danvers Lunatic Asylum, and The Danvers State Insane Asylum, was a psychiatric hospital located in Danvers, Massachusetts. It opened in 1878,

In a recent blog about the use of restraints at the Oregon State Mental Hospital, handcuffs and other restraints lost favor in the last few decades.  It is quite possible that Towers would have been used when handcuffs were more frequently used, especially since many hospitals opened up in the 1870's.

Other hospitals are known to use the DSH abbreviations, but they are more of a surgery and medical center, so it is doubtful that restraints were necessary at these locations.

I bid high but not as much as $1,600 (+25% bidder fees) to win these Adams with County Jail San Francisco markings on them.
Anyone here win them?