1960s safe restoration

SYRACUSIAN

Can’t find the “before” image right now, it is quite something the transformation it underwent after this €200 restoration. Every single piece was taken apart, cleaned, (de-rusted? ) and repainted, and then together again, interior included too of course, a complete second and third layer of paint of the entire safe, inside and out, besides it’s mechanical parts. Most of it was working perfectly anyway, I just felt safer by reinforcing it with three 10 mm steel plates at various critical points Similarly restored models, (1960s) but with the key or the analogue number combination only, not both like here, are being sold at a couple of specified websites, for €1500-€2000 and to think that I was ready to give it away...!

Still, nothing of really big value will go there, because it’s size (like a mini fridge), does not make it an ideal candidate for hiding it, just bolting it on the floor and filling it up, with bulky proof sets, mint sets, and various commems in their case of issue,

SYRACUSIAN

If I wanted to take it further, I could have asked him to rechrome the handles etc, plus a few other details, such as the logo of the company that made it on the front that was originally glued on the front door and broke into two pieces during the restoration, so I opted out of the solution of gluing it on an acrylic base and refitting it, because I do not intend to sell it, just use it after 10 years of simply trying to find it a new space, but not “the basement”.

Some traces of anti rust layer in the pics are nothing but dust that I didn’t clean before imaging it.

harasha

I would be concerned about humidity buildup within the interior. Could do a number on any coin stored within.

DeutscherGeist

That is a good price for a thorough restoration (minus the rechrome of handles). There is not much one can get done anymore for 200 euros.

Most products seem to be made with planned obsolescence, but here we are seeing a nice restoration job that does not exceed the cost of its functional use. You can't buy a decent safe for 200 euros, in other words.

Humidity would be a factor here, but there is a remedy. You can further put the coins and boxes inside 100% polypropylene plastic boxes that can seal and add in there a desiccant (it would go in the polypropylene box with the coins). You can purchase renewable desiccants for cheap on Amazon and elsewhere. Once a year, you can gather the desiccant, place them in the oven, and then use them again for a year.

SYRACUSIAN

Thank you for the nice words and the advice. When buying a cigar box, the kind that most of its materials and work are in the wood and the box itself (€70-€100), they come along with a pseudo humidifier and a cheap humidity reader that can be glued or fixed in a different way at the two slots, that are situated at the inside of the top part, the opening one.

I’ve been told that they don’t really do anything for cigars, but I’m not buying the boxes for cigars, I’m buying them because they look very nice and they can be separated in compartments, for say, coins in capsules, boxed coins, slabs if necessary, a loupe, all kinds of stuff that collectors like and want, for that period that certain coins live on an everyday basis with them, before they are catalogued and put away in some dark scary safe.

The nautical little box inside the Montecristo, contains a wide variety of recent purchases, gold mostly in flips and 2x2s that I intend to liberate again later tonight. There’s an Egyptian 1923 50 piastres with Fuad in a UBS flip, a Turkish 25 Kurush, from the late 19th in unc, a couple of 1/20th oz Australian $5s in Airtites with foam, a 1925 construction company token, with a magnificent obverse, an Italian BU 20 lire 1882-R in a hard plastic 2x2, a 1923 near gem Peace dollar in a round capsule and a choice AU Indian $2.5 1913 in yet another Intercept shield box.

I wonder how many of you recognized Josh’s -civitas’- older flip to the top right of the second box: it contained an Egyptian AH1277/4 4 para coin in red BU, that I later found in some self made (red!) Capital plastics one coin sealed holder, with gold lettering and western date, by a fan I assume, with a bright red coin inside that is almost identical to Josh’s so it seemed appropriate to place them together, with the coin barely visible under Josh’s flip). I like the flips and I keep them, wether from Civitas , Rob LordMarcovan, self imaged in some flips on the backside, auction houses, old Baldwin’s mini flips from show purchases with different material today, all kinds of stuff that were not inside when I imaged them, because I have them hidden till after my return from my coin club.

Visible were only a few boxes with the proof Astérix €2, (sold out in 3 days), a couple of Greek proof €2s, and waiting for a gold 3 gram coin for the Smurfs (Schtroumpfs in French). Gold is practically 90% of all transactions since the virus started. As unfocused as I’vebeen during the last 12 months (and I haven’t mentioned banknotes), I now know what exactly I’m’after in mid Septembrr, so « lockdown » in newps for two months. Except my today’s visit to the coin club, where a trade that we’ve been setting up for two weeks awaits us, and a second one regarding a remainder of an Egyptian coin that I've repurchased. It’sfiunny how some coins I really like and regretted selling them find their way back to me, such as this one.

AH/1293-15W 10 piastres PCGS MS64 single finest, initially purchased from the International Coin Exchange where I had also found that French 1898 set of .50, 1 and colorful 2 FF and that the member who purchased them was lucky enough to see them all in PCGS MS65 holders,

The boxes also come with some bags filled with a certain material, the name of which escapes me now, the size of a tea bag each. The owner, supposedly unscratches, or pulls the « humidifier » and he is supposed to wet it until the « hygrometer » shows a certain indication. The process needs to be repeated, but like I said, I’ve never done it. I’m only asking about these little sealed bags with some small (blue?) minuscule balls inside them, that are supposed to help as well, regarding humidity, since it seems to be such a concern. And in all honesty, I didn’t really think about it at all. But I do not keep raw coins in the safe either. They are mostly boxed and inside capsules, or boxed proof sets, some slabs, like an old small Anacs stack of which I still have 9, (the 5 in the wooden box next to it) and trying to increase them if the right candidate comes along.

Also, with its new positioning, I’m going to be visiting a lot.

Unknown

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Namvet69

Showing the safe some love is very cool. Was this originally a money or records safe? Peace Roy

SYRACUSIAN

@Namvet69 said:
Showing the safe some love is very cool. Was this originally a money or records safe? Peace Roy

Well Roy, I’m not exactly certain. It belonged to my father’s partner, a civil engineer (my father was an architect and so am I), who besides their individual professions, they had a construction company, building mostly residential properties with retail stores at the ground floor, but like all civil engineers that I know, he never signed his own buildings’ projects. The same thing happened later with my uncle, the brother of my father, who became a developper too.

Why sign and assume the risk of such a project, in an area with frequent earthquakes and a strict building code, when someone else can do it for a fraction of your profits? Both of them used me as an architect, because I was the youngest and the cheapest now that I’m looking back. Still, I cherish the experience of working for a developper as opposed to working for a private client.

But to return to the safe, by the time I started working part time at their office during my studies, my father’s partner was never ever there. I assume that he must have kept both inside, records and some cash for various emergencies, but it must have been relatively small amounts, given the prominent position it had in his personal office. And one day, in the mid 80s, he gave it to me as a gift! He gave me the combination and I’ve looked after it ever since.

As an object, I’m often conflicted about it. Nothing that ever goes inside it, has the slightest effect in the owner’s personal quality of life. On the other hand, my roots of collecting are so deep, that it’s impossible to change so drastically, I just go through different periods. So, I will agree with you Roy, that a little bit of TLC towards it can’t be such a bad thing.

FilamCoins

Cool safe and story!

AUandAG

Dang you are organized. My safe is just a mumbo jumbo from scratching through everything and not having a place for anything.

Nice result on the safe.

bob

Exbrit

You obviously smoke better cigars than I do - love the safe restoration.

Stork

This is very cool to see!

SYRACUSIAN

@Exbrit said:
You obviously smoke better cigars than I do - love the safe restoration.

Thank you Exbrit.

I don’t smoke cigars, I just like the finished boxes and considering the materials involved, they are not expensive at all. They´ré just pseudo humidors, these instruments that they come with, are practically useless.

Thank you Cathy!

Still working on that Dansco, I juts left Meiji and Taisho for the end.