Post Office Cabinet

[pendragon1998]

Hi y'all,

 

This is only tangentally related to coins, as I used to house my small collection in this box as a boy and as the box was originally intended to be used to act almost as a till, I believe. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't recommend keeping a collection in a wooden container, as they're reputed to tone coins. Mine weren't toned, but then, they weren't in there too long. Anyway, I just wanted to share...

 

I don't know if anyone here knows a lot about older post offices as well as stamps, but I thought I'd post this and see if I got any more info.

 

This is an old cabinet from a post office in NC. My great-grandmother ran the local Post Office and she took this cabinet when they were shutting it down to move to a new building. I believe this would have been in the 50s or 60s, but I'm not sure. I'm fairly certain the box is much older than her retirement date. My father inherited it from her, and I got it from him. He hasn't told me much about it, so I was wondering if anyone here would be able to tell me exactly what it was and anything else they know.

 

The cabinet is really cool. It's solid wood construction with three drawers and a locking hinged panel on the front. The key is really worn down with use, and I'd like to get a duplicate made but nobody I take it to has a suitable blank. The top drawer is separated into 9 compartments: 6 square-ish ones in the front for coin and 3 longer ones for bills. The middle drawer is a simple large space - until you pull it all the way out, revealing a secret compartment for hiding valuables. The base has a small partition which is missing the original thin dividers, as well as a separate solid wooden tray meant to hold more change. All of the fixtures are original. The finish is also original, although I am sad to say that as a child, I put some marks on it. All in all, it's a beautiful piece, if I may say so myself - and a wonderful heirloom that will never leave my family if I have anything to say about it.

 

Can anyone tell me anything else about it?

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

Front of cabinet; inset of key, back of lock panel, and with drawers open:

 

 

 

Top drawer:

 

 

 

Middle drawer; inset of secret compartment:

 

 

 

Bottom Drawer:

 

 

...larger photos on demand

[WinstonWare]

Nice looking cabinet Is that your great-grandmothers diskette?

[pendragon1998]

- the cabinet is currently serving as a knick-knack drawer, as you can see. I really need to clean it out and look into its history. A fellow board member suggested it could possibly date back to the 1890s. I knew it was old, but that's quite a bit older than I thought. That's older than most of the coins I was originally storing in it The member wasn't 100% sure about the age, so perhaps I need to do some sleuthing.

[pendragon1998]

I got an email from my father today saying he'd first seen it in place at the PO in Summerfield, NC back in 1960, when he was 9 years old. His grandmother gave one to him and one to his brother when the PO was abandoned and another one built. He said it was used to store money and stamps at the PO.

[WoodenJefferson]

The dividers could have been used for the various types of loose stamps/post cards/envelope size, etc.

 

regular postage stamps

postage due

special delivery

post cards

postage pd envelopes

coils

booklets

air mail 1918

 

I for one can't say that this cabinet was made specifically for the Post Office, it might have been a General Purpose cabinet for the counter, but the drawers could definetly hold sheets of stamps handily. The regular postage came in sheets of 50 so you would need a large area to place the sheets flat.

 

Most furniture grade material made for the Federal Gov't had brass tags or some type of identification label afixed somewhere on the piece, even inventory tags.

 

I was wondering what purpose/function those 1/4 round peices in the change drawer would be used for?

 

Still a neat piece of antique furniture.

 

Oak?

[Hoot]

Lovely piece. Still property of the federal government since it was not properly deaccessioned.

 

Hoot

[cpm9ball]

Lovely piece. Still property of the federal government since it was not properly deaccessioned.

 

Hoot

 

Do you think the Feds will confiscate it and store the 1933 St. Gaudens $20's in it?

 

Chris

[DC Dawg]

Lovely piece. Still property of the federal government since it was not properly deaccessioned.

 

Actually, that's not true. It was common for the Postal Service and other agency to surplus equipment and let employees take them. The practice was stopped in 1966 when the practices were formalized by law after supervisory employees were surplussing cars that were less than a year old. And since the Postal Service is a government corporation and not an agency or bureau, they are free to set their own rules on surplus equipment.

 

So don't pick on Mike's cabinet. It's a nice piece and let him enjoy it without worrying if the Feds would be breaking down his door and call him an enemy of the state!!

 

Scott

[cpm9ball]

Lovely piece. Still property of the federal government since it was not properly deaccessioned.

 

Actually, that's not true. It was common for the Postal Service and other agency to surplus equipment and let employees take them. The practice was stopped in 1966 when the practices were formalized by law after supervisory employees were surplussing cars that were less than a year old. And since the Postal Service is a government corporation and not an agency or bureau, they are free to set their own rules on surplus equipment.

 

So don't pick on Mike's cabinet. It's a nice piece and let him enjoy it without worrying if the Feds would be breaking down his door and call him an enemy of the state!!

 

Scott

 

Shucks! That means I won't be able to buy the cabinet with the 1933's in it.

 

Chris

[pendragon1998]

Okay! I've just finished taking out all the drawers and flipping (gently) this bad boy upside down. On the outer surface of the bottom of the cabinet, I found the following information:

 

 

Stamped in ink:

------------------------

INSPECTED

 

JUN - 8(?) - 1950

 

R.(?) P. WOODY

 

POST OFFICE DEPT.

------------------------

 

 

Burned on:

------------------------

National Cabinet (logo)

 

L. I. City

N. Y.

------------------------

 

 

Stenciled on:

----------------------------------------

PROPERTY OF THE POST OFFICE DEPT

 

309 STAMP CABINET 1950

 

NATIONAL CABINET CO. L. I. C. N. Y.

----------------------------------------

 

Here's the logo:

 

 

So it appears that the cabinet is at least 57 years old, being build probably sometime around 1950.

 

I can't find anything about National Cabinet Co. on google. Anyone have any leads?

[bsshog40]

Try the antiques roadshow! sorry, I couldn''t help myself. I actually searched google today looking for one just like it to try to find you at least a resale value for it. No luck here either!!

[pendragon1998]

Thanks for looking bsshog - I scoured google myself, and I'm fairly certain that there are few if any left in the wide world. I know only of at least one other, which my great-grandmother gave to my elder uncle (my father's brother).

 

I may actually try antiques roadshow - they're going to be in Louisville, KY in the summer, and my father lives there. Maybe we can get tickets.

[DC Dawg]

That would be cool to have you and your father on Antiques Roadshow showing off this piece. It has a nice charm that people would appreciate. Good luck!!

 

Scott

[michael]

you got to go to an older locksmith that can and will fabricate a key extremely easily for you

 

most likely cost you around 40 dollars make sure to bring the lock and key with you he might have to replace the tumblers in the lock mechanism also or refurbish it and this will be an added charge

[michael]

threrte was an old time locksmith about 25 years ago when i was working downtown rochester ny and we needed another key for an elevator that was one of the first installed in the usa!!!back in the 1880's and he was able to duplicare for us he had a blank also

[Beijim]

At the risk of stating the obvious, "L.I.C." and "L.I. City" refer to _Queens'>Long Island City in Queens, New York.

 

Beijim

[pendragon1998]

I was actually wondering about that but hadn't taken the time to look it up yet.