After seeing the Lilly handcuffs and leg irons that are popping up on eBay, I began wondering: who made them?

On page 44 of the Handcuff Annual 2006 there's an illustration of a trade advertisement regarding them:

Handcuff Kings and Magicians!
For Sale
The United States Navy Handcuff. Used in the Civil War by Sergeant of Marines, Lilly, who died with a pair on him.
Only a few left. In good working order. Price complete with key $2. Extra keys 25 cents a piece.
Wm. Schonberger
1020 Prospect Ave., New York

I understand that the 8 Lincoln conspirators were imprisoned before trial on board an ironclad monitor warship moored in the Potomac River, so it's logical that they would be confined in the type of handcuffs and leg irons used by the navy, but where did they come from? Navy blacksmiths? Rankin? Providence Tool? Ian McColl's great-great-great grandfather?

Also, does anyone have a date for the foregoing advertisement?

Lilly irons were used on the Lincoln Consprators, and they are in the collections of The Smithsonian.
Stan

Hello,

That the Lincoln assassination conspirators were restrained in Lilly irons is well-documented.



Details regarding the identity, life and military branch of Lilly, or however the name correctly is spelled, at this point remain conjecture and lack known, substantiated evidence.

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

These are 3 of the Lilly Irons at the Smitsonian. Note that they are each slightly different from the others.

http://www.handcuffsandbadges.com

Maybe the pictures will turn up on this one:

These are 3 of the Lilly Irons at the Smithsonian. Note that they are each slightly different from the others.

http://www.handcuffsandbadges.com

I have two Lilly's
One has the Roman Numerals stamped on one of the inside bars and the other has no such markings.
I would like to hear from those who have a Lilly or two, how many have the numbers on their cuffs as opposed to those examples without the numbers.

Thanks

mark
O--O

Hi

I have the Romanian numbers stamped inside my Lilly.

Lars

www.holstcollection.com

Both of mine have Roman Numerals, but they are made quite a bit different. One has a smooth finish and appears hand forged. The other finish has a rougher texture, like the parts were cast.
Stan

Hi Mark and All,

My Lily's have the Roman numerals VI on the inside of each of the swinging "arms." The numerals are somewhat irregular and appear to be cut in or pressed in with the end of a chisel. The numerals were certainly not made by Roman numeral or letter stamps. I mention this because at the first Indy convention I got a chance to take a look at an iron on Joe Tanner's table and those numerals (if I am remembering correctly) looked much more regular than mine. I got the impression that they were made with stamps or at least made by someone who took some care to make the markings regular, neat and a bit stylized. Maybe it's simply an issue of the "handwriting skills" (or literacy) of the given blacksmith, or he couldn't find the stamps that day, etc.

Paul

My cuffs are marked by hand. No stamp was used. I don't recall seeing ones with Roman Numerals that had a "Stamped" number.

Thanks for the info, Stan. What I probably saw on Joe T's table were numerals that were just more refined than mine. The current ebay item has markings that are also neater than mine.
Best Wishes, Paul

The two Lilly's I have are very small in wrist size. One has a Roman Numeral IX or XI and the other, the smallest, has a stamped 6 or 9 depending which way you are looking at thiem.

Ron

Well, it seems Lilly cuffs are not so rare after all

I dont have a lilly iron, That doesn't prove they are rare, but I kind of lean towards that opinion.
Maybe if I root through this five ton box of carberry cuffs there might be a lilly in there.....

Well, here's another one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/GENUINE-LILLY-CIVIL-WAR-ERA-LEG-IRONS-SHACKLES-MANACLES_W0QQitemZ250200037843QQihZ015QQcategoryZ39665QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180195945058&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008

And this one didn't even make the $500 reserve price.

Yes, truly rare.

Stan:

The pictures you have of Lilly handcuffs from the Smithsonian, I'm rather interested in those. Not that I will be able to purchase them, but a detail I've begun to notice.

Do you have, through the museum, any more information on those three sets of cuffs that you can share?

Thanks,

Franklin

I did not get the pictures myself from the Smithsonian, so I have no additional information. The pictures came from a friend who was doing research at the Museum and obtained the pics for me. It was at least 25 years ago that I got them, and there was a pretty stiff charge for them.
Stan

Joe Tanner sent the following message and photo.



"JOE: hope all is very well..... see attached photo..... one of my LILLY hand irons is marked -- J.H.L. - ... in fact, i believe that you saw this LILLY at the last INDY show that i attended.....several years ago, i did some research on the net & the best result that i got was that the initials stand for JOHN - HORACE - LILLY .... who was a SARGENT in the NAVAL military etc during the civil war...... i do not remember where or how i found the info as my computer went down on me & i just stopped there.... so if you would, post the photo & indicate what i have said & see if any of the folks want to research it...... take care... joe"

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

Joe T.
Thanks for the photo. It is very interesting. Does anyone else know anything about John Horace Lilly?
Joe L.

I was going to lay down some good money that the initials stood for Joseph H. Lauher.

mark
O--O

Mark

And what does the "H" stand for?

Joe

Handcuff Joe Handcuff Lauher
Happy&Healthy New Year To Everone!!
And may this year be the year you get that one cuff you always wanted!!!
ALL THE BEST!!!

YEAH!...What Fred said!

mark
O--O

Mark, I have two pair. One very large like the top one Stan pictured and one very small one.

The large one is stamped "XXIV" (24, I guess) and has a "T" stamped underneath the 24, on all three pieces. The id of the cuffs are 3 3/16" x 2 1/2".

The small set is marked "I", nothing else and it, too, is on all three pieces. The id of the cuff is 2 1/2" x 1 7/8". It is about a quarter inch shorter than the big set.

Both appear to have been made by the same gorilla with a hammer.

Brad