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Type IV - Traditional ring keys, both lift and shift and rotary type


Note bene – tutti i diametri fanno riferimento al diametro interno dell’anello
195

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
201

Size: ring diam. 1,8; stem cm 1,5
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: the ring looks damaged by an impact
211

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 1,2
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
217

Size: ring diam. cm 1,6; stem cm 1,7
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronze; damaged cypher, for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
218

Size: ring diam. cm1,8
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; broken cypher, for rotary lock (?)
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
230

Size: ring diam. cm 1,4; stem cm 2,7
Description and material:
Roman female key, hinged ring; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: the ring rotates freely
247

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 3
Description and material:
Roman hinged ring key with cuspid; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: Jackson makes reference to a Balkan origin; the ring rotates freely
250

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 1
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock, deeply oxidized
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
252

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
253

Size: ring diam. cm 2; stem cm 2,2
Description and material:
Roman female hinged ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: Jackson makes reference to a Syrian origin
266

Size: ring diam. cm 1,5; stem cm 1,8
Description and material:
Roman female hinged ring key with cuspid; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: Jackson makes reference to a Syrian origin; the ring rotates freely
284

Size: ring diam. cm 1,6
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; geometric shaped cypher, for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
292

Size: ring diam. cm 1,5; stem cm 1,6
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronzo; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
293

Size: ring diam. cm 1,6; stem cm 1,5
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronzo; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
296

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 1
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
302

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8; stem cm 2,2
Description and material:
Roman iron faceted ring key, female; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
313

Size: ring diam. cm 1,9; stem cm 1,6
Description and material:
Roman iron decorated ring key; female; comb like cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
336

Size: ring diam. cm 2,4.; stem cm 1,3
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; damaged cypher for lift-shift lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
338

Size: ring diam. cm 2; stem cm 1,8
Description and material:
Roman bronze hinged ring key; female; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: rust is locking the ring
348

Size: stem cm 2,6
Description and material:
Roman key, handle with hole; bronze; cypher for multiple spring lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
352

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 2,5
Description and material:
Roman female ring key with geometric decorations; silver; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: key n. 377 comes from the same cast
353

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8; stem cm 2
Description and material:
Roman hinged ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: Jackson declares a Lincolnshire origin- UK, probably due to Emperor Claudius Roman occupation, I century A.D.
365

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 2,5
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
377

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 2,5
Description and material:
Roman female ring key with geometric decorations; bronze; sophisticated cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: key n. 352 comes from the same cast
390

Size: ring diam. cm 2; stem cm 4,3
Description and material:
Roman oxidized hinged ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: The ring is locked, due to rust; dimensions are quite large for a ring key
399

Size: ring diam. cm 1,9; stem cm 2,2
Description and material:
Roman hinged ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: the ring rotates freely
417

Size: ring diam. cm 1; stem cm 1,5
Description and material:
Roman female hinged ring key; iron; shaped handle; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: the ring rotates freely, probably the ring was tied to a string
418

Size: ring diam. cm 2,2; stem cm 2 + 1,5
Description and material:
lift and shift ring key; the shank is terminated by a closed hand, grasping the ring; 3 pins cypher; bronze
Origin and epoch: Rome, I century A.D.
Note: The ring rotates freely
431

Size: ring diam. cm 1,9; stem cm 1,7
Description and material:
Roman hinged ring key; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
Note: The ring rotates freely
432

Size: ring diam. cm
Description and material:
Roman ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: the ring rotates freely
465

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8; stem cm 2 + 1
Description and material:
female ring key, bronze, with moving ring; simple cypher
Origin and epoch: Rome, I century A.D.
555

Size: ring diam. cm 1,9; stem cm 2
Description and material:
Roman hinged ring key; bronze; front and side cypher with two holes, for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. III (?) century A.D.
Note: the front and side map may be typical of a later epoch
624

Size: ring diam. cm
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; bronze; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
632

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 1,2
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; iron; comb like cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: see also key 232
647

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 0,9
Description and material:
Roman female ring key; iron; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
790

Size: stem cm 3,2
Description and material:
female ring type rotary key, with damaged eyelet and missing ring; sophisticated cypher, but probably only as a decoy; bronze
Origin and epoch: Roma imperiale, II secolo d.C.
Note: D. Jackson suggests that the sophisticated cypher was a decoy for an observer, looking at the key, suspended at the neck of the owner.
793

Size: ring diam. cm 1,6; stem cm 3
Description and material:
Roman mobile ring key with cuspid; bronze; various pins cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
855

Size: ring diam. cm 1,2; stem cm 2
Description and material:
Roman shaped ring key with cuspid; bronze; missing cypher, for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
1159

Size: ring diam. cm 1,6; stem cm 1,7
Description and material:
Roman female hinged ring key; iron; sophisticated shape of the handle; damaged cypher and difficult to reconstruct
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. II century A.D.
1303

Size: ring diam. cm 1,7; stem cm 1,7
Description and material:
Roman ring key; shaped from bronze sheet; stem and map fastened with 2 rivets; simple cypher for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: deformed ring
1306

Size: ring diam. cm 2; stem cm 1,2
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze (?); 5 (?) coding pins cypher for lift-shift lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
1389

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8; stem cm 1,4
Description and material:
Roman ring key; iron; six (?) coding pins cypher for lift-shift lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.
Note: cypher damaged by rust
1513

Size: ring diam. cm 1,8
Description and material:
Roman ring key; bronze; geometric shaped cypher, for rotary lock
Origin and epoch: Imperial Rome, approx. I century A.D.

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