Ceremonial Keys and Caskets

The production of ornamental metal work by Chubb's has extended over a long period. Among early caskets they were concerned with was one of solid silver made for the King of Ashantee in 1844. It was of elaborate design, weighed 276 oz. and was constructed for the safe custody of the gold dust which his sable Majesty employed as currency. In the Ashantee War of 1873-4 the casket was captured at Coomassie by the British Forces, and was returned to Messrs. Chubb for repair, having been purchased by a British officer at the sale of booty at Cape Coast Castle.

Drawing of the key of the 1862 exhibition.
Signed by Queen Victoria.

Among other interesting indications of Chubb's participation in the provision of ceremonial caskets and keys are a series of designs for presentation keys prepared for opening ceremonies in connection with various public buildings and exhibitions, and bearing the signs manual of the exalted personages associated with their inauguration. Two of the most important are the representation of the elaborate wrought steel key used by her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, in opening the International Exhibition of 1862 in London, and that with which the late King Edward, as Prince of Wales, inaugurated the Dublin Exhibition of 1865, the former of which is illustrated.

Both keys were fine examples of hand wrought steel, and by reason of the laborious work involved, as costly as many latterly made in precious metals for kindred purposes. In these cases, as in other instances which will be referred to, the finished designs were graciously autographed by their Majesties, and remain valued possessions of the Chubb firm. Other designs bearing the signature of Queen Victoria are those for the Liverpool Exhibition of 1886, and the Indian and Colonial Exhibition (London) in the same year; while to those used in connection with other exhibitions and public institutions are appended the signatures of the late King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, the late Duke of Clarence, the Princess Royal and the late King Leopold of Belgium.

The various dominions of the British Empire vied in contributing gold and precious stones of great value for its construction, and the designers were faced with the unusual difficulty of having so large a selection of material at their disposal as to render it by no means easy to include a portion from each of the generous representative contributions in so small an object as a key. Even after this requirement had been strictly complied with, gold and fine stones remained. These, however, were largely utilised by their incorporation in a specially devised brooch-like ornament in the form of an orb, approved by Her Majesty, and affixed by a detachable fastening to the case of the key.

The following are the details of the materials of the key: The wards of the key form the letters I.I., the initials of the Imperial Institute. The gold and diamonds of which the key is composed were contributed by several Dominion Governments and by India, so that different portions of the British Empire are represented by its various component parts. The head of the key is formed of gold from South Africa; the silver in the star ornaments came from the Broken Hill Mine, Australia; the stem is formed of gold from British Columbia; while the bitt and wards are composed of the precious metal from Queensland mines. The stem of the key is encircled by a riband in red gold and a wreath of laurel leaves in green gold, both obtained from Victoria, while gold from that colony afforded material for the ornaments upon the lid of the case containing the key.