Vintage post office lock box door

[RetiredCIPicker]

Well, I am new. Just registered. I retired from the US Army over 20 years ago. I was a picker for the Intell side of the house. I really have not used a pick very much since I retired. Grandkids started asking a lot of questions about all the "neat tools" in the shop. I do have a question, if I am in the right zip code. My wife brought home, from the thrift shop, an old coin bank with what looks like a vintage post office box door with the flying eagle on the front. It is a combination lock. It has an old yellowed piece of paper attached to the bottom with what looks like a combination. Not played with one of these so I do not know which direction to start to turn or how many turns. Can anyone give an old guy a lesson on how to open one of these things? I'm pretty sure wanding is out of the question. Thanks for your help.

[Squelchtone]

a vintage post office box door with the flying eagle on the front. It is a combination lock.

Some of these are a single wheel and single gate, thus a single number opens the lock. just turn at 1 number increments and push the rounded button the left/right to see if it enters a true gate and opens the door, repeat until it opens, if it does not, then you have a 3 number combination, not just a single number

Squelchtone

[Squelchtone]

I forgot to mention...

If your door has 2 wheels side by side they will be A thru K on one wheel and L - V, so you have to try a few combinations until the knob slides over and retracts the latch.

example, turn to A, turn to L, try latch, turn to A, turn to M, try latch, then turn to B and turn to L and try latch, repeat until all pairs have been tried out.

good luck,

Squelchtone