Antique keyhole - escutcheon(?)

[aDawn]

Hello again Hope you all are rested from the 4th and had a great Independence Day!

I've been around the yard again with my metal detector and I found this old keyhole. I'm assuming value is not very high (between $10-30 is what I've seen on eBay), but was wondering if anyone could point me to the age and the material. I was thinking maybe brass/bronze? (I don't actually know the difference b/t brass and bronze, ha) It's nicely decorated and I think it might shine up, but I'm scared of removing patina...Unless it's all just dirt haha. It has some shiny gold spots, not sure if that would be brass or something painted on.

As always, your help is appreciated!

[mart]

Nice find !!  Looks to be from an entry door !! You can scratch the back and see if it possibly solid brass but it could be brass plate over a cast metal !!  These were meant to shine,, clean and polish it but if it doesn`t clean up,, it was probably plated !!  You worry about patina on decorative objects !! But even then most brass should be polished !!  Bronze items,, do not polish !!

[ghopper1924]

I would also guess that it's cast metal with either brass or gilt plated/painted over it. Nice! I would think it's ca. 1900.

A house that my wife once lived in was slated for demolition. She gathered up the late Victorian door hardware and leaded glass windows before the bulldozer hit it.

We repurposed a similar escutcheon/lockplate from that house for one of the doors in our present house. It looks great as is, with a cleaning but no polishing.

[mart]

Restorers love things like this !! I would guess value at about $20. in todays market !!

[aDawn]

Great! I'm pleased with $20.00. I'm sure I'll just keep it anyways

Thanks for all the responses.  So should I just use warm water to clean it? Should I use a scrubber, or will that remove what's left of the paint/gilt?

[greenacres]

http://www.antique-shop.com/forums/index.php?topic=11344.0 I posted this not to long ago. Min escutcheon is much smaller.

[aDawn]

Yeah, I remember seeing that post. Did you put them to use yet?

[mart]

Great! I'm pleased with $20.00. I'm sure I'll just keep it anyways

Thanks for all the responses.  So should I just use warm water to clean it? Should I use a scrubber, or will that remove what's left of the paint/gilt?

Try soap and water and stiff toothbrush !!  Not enough left on it to worry with !!  If the yellow color seems to be stable and not a paint,, you might try some metal/brass polish !!

[greenacres]

Not yet. My husbands biggest gripe!

[jondar]

I found one of these round smaller ones, thinking as I dug it up, I had found a Gold double eagle.  I polished mine with a Dremel tool with felt buffing wheel and mild rubbing compound.  It seemed like it took forever to get all the crud off. I would bet money yours is solid brass and is indestructible (well almost).  In those days brass was cheap and I don't think we got into brass plating till recently, tho I'm not positive about that.