In the time of the Roman Empire as wealth spread it was essential for the extremely wealth Citizens to keep their jewels and coins safe and sound. There was a big need for this as the Roman Mob could turn at any time and also whilst he Praetorians kept order most of the time there were still plenty of opportunist thieves out there to try and take things for the Villas outside of the city walls or in the townhouses within it. Those Romans faced many of the challenges we do today in terms of security and the first person they called upon was the locksmith to create a strong box for there treasures. This is very similar to what we need and a visit to the Sheffield Locksmith website of https://www.hallamlocksmiths.co.uk will show you a number of options and choices that you can choose from for you won security needs.
Locks to the romans were not new. They had seen them in use in an earlier form in Egypt and in Greece. The Romans as with all aspect they encountered began to refine the use of the lock to the padlock that we know and use today. It was around the time of 100 to 200 Ad that the padlock was invented by Roman locksmiths. We can’t pinpoint exactly who it was but it seems that there was some conference about them to some degree but there is also evidence that there was competition with other locksmiths to see who could develop the best line.
The design of the Roman padlock was simple. It featured a lock body and a shack. Inside was a steel spring and this was activated using the key being turned locking the shackle into place. The bolt is moved into place by the key meaning that the shackle cannot move. This is similar to the Egyptian designs which were the first to be created. One thing they did life about the padlock is that you can be a bit more ornate with it and create something that is in keeping with the house it is looking to protect. The cost would have been a factor too. A Door lock is expensive, but the humble Roman padlock could take few hits and it is time and still come out unbroken.
The other lock for the era was the barrel lock. This was designed more for retaining animals as the weight was considerably more than the pad lock. This was for heavy duty protection and means that not all households had one or needed them. They would be linked together in a large mass. Once one was fitted that thing was going nowhere.
