Ave!

Key Ring, Rotary, Sort of, c.1st-3rd Cent

Copper alloy; 21mm/3.5gm

Con/ As Fabricated; superb and glossy very dark brown patina.

Seller's Note/ Small rotary keys, such as this, were used to open the scarce Roman puzzle mask padlocks. The lock smith who created this key, and likely puzzle padlocks as well, was on the cutting edge of Roman technology. 

But something went wrong and the lock smith filled the rotary area with metal! Perhaps he had a customer who only needed a key for a small box of some sort? Who knows!

A truly wonderful example of a key ring that was used to keep things secret and safe by well-to-do ancient Romans.

Such ring keys were worn on a chain or strap about the neck, not on a finger, but if you are so inclined, it's a ring size 4 1/2.