NOTE.... This item is for sale. It was an auction on ebay and this is a holding place for auctions that don't sell. I keep them here and relist them after a few weeks.

U.S. Treasury Washington D.C. Safe Vault Plaque Isaiah Rogers 1863 Lincoln Civil War

Up for bid is what I believe to be a Safe Plaque off one of the original Vault Doors from the

Treasury Building in Washington D.C. circa 1863 civil war era.

The Treasury building is just EAST of the White House.

I’ve had this in my collection for 25 years.

The hand etched plaque shield reads

“BURGLAR PROOF VAULT

ISAIAH ROGERS

PATENT. Dec 15^th 1863

Manufactured by

GEO. R. JACKSON,

BURNETT & Co.

EXCELSIOR

IRON WORKS, NEW YORK”

The picture below is from a current book “THE FORTRESS of FINANCE: THE UNITED STATES TREASURY BUILDING.”

By Pamela Scott. PAGE 210. It is included in picture number 6 in ebay pics.

Column 1 paragraph 2 of Page 210 reads

On March 1, 1864, Rogers advertised for

“All the Fire and Burglar proof safes and Vaults

Required by the Treasury Department” until

May 1865. Despite the delay in delivery of the Comptroller’s vault, Rogers awarded George R. Jackson the contract. Jackson had formed a partnership with James J. Burnet and together they found the Excelsior Iron Work in Brooklyn, perhaps in response to Jackson’s increased government business.

The above basically is WHAT is Etched on the Vault Plaque Shield plus the Patent Date.

As I mentioned earlier, besides the book “Fortress of Finance.”  There is also a book JUST on the CHIEF ARCHITECT “Isaiah Rogers” on the Treasury West Wing during time period of 1863-1865.

The name of the book is

ISAIAH ROGERS Architectural Practice in Antebellum America. By James F. O’Gorman.  

Isaiah Rogers is also the design patent holder. I have added pictures of the patent.  read info below.

From 1863 to 1865, due to his friendship with fellow Cincinnatian Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury, Rogers was appointed as Supervising Architect of the United States. In this role he designed and patented four burglar-proof vaults built in the northwest corner of the U.S. Treasury Building in 1864. Their lining consisted of two layers of cast iron balls interposed between the traditional alternating plates of wrought iron and hardened steel. The balls, held loosely in specially formed cavities, were designed to rotate freely upon contact with a drill, or any other tool, thereby preventing a burglar from penetrating.

Around 1900 the Rogers Vaults were considered obsolete and during remodeling the vault wall was walled over.  I’m guessing someone that worked there was given this Plaque Shield off one of the vaults for a souvenir. Since the vaults were never going to be used, why not get a memento. Of course that’s just speculation but unquestionably this safe plaque was used on one of Rogers Vault Doors..

Another website says about the same information I mentioned above. Some of my info is duplicated and worded about the same from different sites.

The U.S. Treasury Building is where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.

In 1985, renovators of the Treasury Building made an unexpected discovery. Behind the walls of the old office of the Treasurer,

they had stumbled across the forgotten armored vault that used to guard the U.S. government’s cash.

The old vault was designed in 1864 by Isaiah Rogers and employed a creative “burglar-proof” design. A double layer of large ball bearings

were sandwiched between a metal housing—the theory was that an attacking drill bit would just penetrate one layer

and get caught in the spinning balls. In any case, a retinue of 20 guards used to watch over the space to ensure that it never came to that.

The actual plaque profile is a shield design. I believe it is bronze and appears to have been nickel plated but the background is very dark even

though the etched letters are silver in color. I’m not sure of the process.

Size is 6 ¾ tall by 6 ½ wide. Lip is about 3/8 inch and approx. 1/8 inch thick. Excellent shape.

ONE OF A KIND…or at least 1 of 4!

Check out my other antique safe items for sale all this week!

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Questions welcomed. Item is packaged to arrive in advertised shape.

 International buyer please use   global shipping program.