Antique Cast Iron and Steel Safe by Cyrus Price & Co.

This antique fire-resisting safe was manufactured by Cyrus Price & Co. of Wolverhampton, England, a firm established around 1839 to 1840 in a region internationally recognised during the Victorian era for its high standard of lock and safe manufacturing. The company placed a strong emphasis on security innovation throughout its history, and was awarded a prize medal for its "Holdfast" and fire-resisting designs at the 1862 London International Exhibition, with further awards following in the decades after. Cyrus Price & Co. traded independently for close to a century before being acquired by Gibbons of Wolverhampton during the depression of the 1930s.

The safe is constructed from cast iron and steel, with a hand-formed door of substantial thickness and heavy internal bolt work, operated by a brass T-handle. The front door carries the maker's circular brass trademark plaque, depicting Britannia and a lion alongside text commemorating the company's exhibition medals. The body is fitted with the fire-resisting insulation layout typical of the period, intended to protect the contents of the safe in the event of a structural fire.