GOLD Antique: 1852 Patent Inventor Silas Herring Fireproof Bank Safe Plaque Sign

Description

ANTIQUE COLLECTORS FIND A REAL
GOLD
MINE!
Newer Herring bank safe plaques manufactured later with the additional business partners' names on the plaques (like Farrel) sell for over ,000 elsewhere, so these are a RARE VALUE!!
HISTORY:
Silas C. Herring (born 1806) became interested in Wilder Safes around 1840-1841. Herring became engaged with and was appointed as the agent to sell Enos Wilder's patented "Salamander Safes" in 1841, in New York. By 1844 Wilder safes were made under Wilder's patent by an exclusive licensing agreement with Herring who purchased the sole right to manufacture and sell these three years later, paying a royalty of a penny a pound for this right. As an inventor himself, Herring constantly improved Wilder's design. So in 1850, Mr. Herring paid a great deal to a Philadelphia chemist to come up with a superior material to any other substance then known as a non-conductor of heat, with incomparable fire and burglary resistance. Herring patented this chemical and material process building a safe using this NEW amazing material which was exhibited at The World's Fair in London. This is the "Herring Patent" referred to on this S.C. HERRING & CO plaque - with the date of patent "ISSUE" being May 18th, 1852. (Wilder's patent expired in 1852). Herring's company boomed and he built the huge Herring building to manufacture his new safes with 600 hardworking men.  Later plaques have additional names on them like "Farrel." Silas Herring and John Farrel were friends for many years, though the Herring Factory was in New York, and the Farrel factory was in Philadelphia. HERRING SAFE COMPANY 1844-1869. In 1861 they formed a merger, though in general the names were still kept separate until 1869 when the merger was incorporated (Herring-Farrel 1869-1885).
DESCRIPTION:
Originally, this was a gilted GOLD wrought iron plaque or plate (NOT A CHEAP CAST IRON IMITATION like those without fish on the sides) attached to the front panel of an old iron safe made by Herring in New York held in place by screws that went through the "eyes" of the figural herring like fish on the sides (approximately 5" x about 4 1/2").  The gilted gold layer of the bronze plate is still present on many areas, even after over a century and a half!  The words "Herring Patent" are at the very top edge. The manufacturing location is displayed as "251 Broadway Cor Murray St. N.Y." at the bottom edge with the patent date of "May 18th 1852" on the left side edge, and "Fireproof Safe" appears on the right side edge. The company won a bronze medal in 1867 for fire-proof and burglar-proof safes that were made of wrought iron, steel bars, and patented crystallized iron, which was advertised as "the only metal which cannot be drilled by a burglar." This extremely rare collector's item in well preserved condition and over 160 years old features an ornate detailed high relief raised design picture of a Herring safe surviving a test furnace and four men nearby. Two of the men (on the left side) appear to be safe-crackers being apprehended near a safe, while the other two men (on the right side) represent the happy satisfied owners/bankers of another safe with valuables inside is shown as being indestructible and truly SAFE!
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You could be the proud satisfied owner of this expertly crafted work of art, part of an antique award winning invention of America's industrial revolution, although you might choose to give this piece of history as a unique gift to a banker or financial or security type of person also. Newer Herring bank safe plaques manufactured later with the additional business partners' names on the plaques (like Farrel) sell for over ,000 elsewhere,
so these are a RARE FIND!!