how old is this lock?

[Scowt]

noticed this lock at an antique shop, so i picked it up as im a hobbiest picker therefore the name "Towne" caught my eye. any idea around how old this is? any fun facts? etc...?

http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#0 "The Yale & Towne MFG CO."??
http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#1 Key Way
http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#2 Key
http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#3 "Super Pin Tumbler"??
http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#4 Whole Lock
http://imgur.com/rXUNeRd,wL3rkDs,un3cQA ... ,C6JlTRK#5 Key

[Evan]

The style of the key blank will allow you to date the lock more precisely than that type of lock itself which is still made for transit authorities and utilities...

~~ Evan

[Scowt]

so not really antique?

[MacGyver101]

That padlock, with a pin-tumbler mechanism and a warded keyway, first went into production in the late 1930's. Here's an except from their 1940 catalog:



The "Yale" logo on your lock, though, dates from later:



I don't have a good history of all of their logo changes, but I'd guess sometime in the mid- to late-1950's?

[Scowt]

oh . some quick research led me to believe early 1900s. oh well. its still seems really well made. all of the operations are extremely smooth.