German & Austrian Keys (Morsetaste)

An assortment of keys from Germany, which includes keys from Prussia and Austria. Early keys used interesting camelback designs as well as ruggedly-built straight lever designs. In the US, instrument makers stopped making camelbacks in the latter part of the 1800's, but German camelbacks continued to be made into the 20th Century, which often fools collectors into thinking their camelback key is very early when in reality it might have been made in the early 1900's.

(Click on each thumbnail to view the full size image):

Small Austrian Camelback Key. Johann Leopolder, Vienna. Ca. Late 1850's	Very Early Austrian Camelback Key. Ca. 1860	Very early Austrian Camelback. Note the Coiled Spring Instead of a Strap Spring Common on Later Keys. Ca. 1860's	Rear View of the Austrian Camelback Showing the Spring
Very Early German Camelback, Ca. 1860's.	Close-up of the Contact & Spring	An Early German Duplex Key. Maker Unknown. Ca. 1870	German Straight Lever Key. 1872
Early German Camelback, Ca. 1870's	Early German Cast Iron Camelback	Early German Postal Key. Maker Unknown. Ca. 1870's	Another View of the Early German Postal Key
Early German Postal Key. This Style Key Was Made from the Mid-1870's Until Around 1920	Side View of the German Postal Key Showing the Maker's Name, L.E. Schwerdt, Carlsruhe	The Schwerdt Postal Key Also Has the Date of Manufacture Stamped on it: April 12, 1876	Early German Key With Step-Lever Design. Maker Unknown. Ca. 1880
	Early German Postal Key. (w1tp.com)	Another German Cast Iron Camelback Key	Prussian Camelback by Zukriebel, Prague
German "I-Beam" Lever Key, Ca. 1880's	Another German I-Beam Key by Gurlt	Another I-Beam Key. Maker Unknown	One More German I-Beam Key
German Strap Key by Groos & Graf, 1898	Early German Straight Lever Postal Key	Siemens & Halske Postal Key With 2 Spring Adjustments	Another German Landline Key. Maker Unknown
An Early German or Austrian Straight Lever Postal Style Key	Another View of the German-Austrian Key	Another Unknown German Landline Key	Another Unknown German Landline Key
Early Landline Key by Groos & Graf, 1895	Front View of the Groos & Graf Key Showing the Date Stamp	One More Unknown Landline Key	Miniature Prussian Camelback Key
Another View of the Miniature Camelback	Austrian Camelback Key, Ca. Early 1900's	Prussian Camelback Key by Pichler, Ca. Early 1900's	Close-Up of the Pichler Nameplate
German Postal Key by Philips. Early 1900s	Close-Up of the Philips Nameplate	Camelback Key With Lever Shroud	Top View Showing the Lever Shroud
German Camelback Key For Demonstration Use. Made by Ferdinand Ernecke, Berlin	Demo Camelback 2	Demo Camelback 3	Demo Camelback 4
Demo Camelback 5	Prussian Camelback Key. Ca. Early 1900's	German Postal Style Key That is Actually a Cigar Cutter !!	Another View of the Cigar Cutter Key
Another Cigar Cutter Key	Close-Up of the Cutting Blades	Very Small German Camelback Key	Holding the Camelback Key in the Hand to Show its Small Size
Another Interesting German Camelback Key	Small Cast Iron Camelback. Probably a "dummy" key used for code practice since it has no connections for wires.	Another version of the "dummy" key	Unknown Key, Possibly German
German Postal Key	Another German Postal Key	A Small but Stock German Key. Maker Unknown. Looks Like a Spark Key, but the Contacts are too Small	Postal Style Key Used by Line Technicians
A Portable Register With a Folding Key Protruding From the Side. Made by Gurlt	The Gurlt Folding Lever Key Mounted on a Separate Base	The Gurlt Key With the Lever in the UP Position	Another Folding Lever Key With a Large Power Resistor Attached Under the Base
Close-Up of the Large Power Resistor	Another German Folding Lever Key. May Have Been Part of a Field Set	Folding Lever Key With Lever Up	German Postal Style Key With a Circuit Closer, Which Appears to be Original
A German Key With 2 Lever But it is NOT a Cable Key	The Lower Rear Contacts Are Separated So it Can Not be a Cable Key	Postal Key With Double Contacts	Another More Elaborate Version of the Double Contact Key
Close-Up of the Double Front Contacts	Key By Lorenz, Berlin, Taken off a Key & Register Baseboard Set	Unknown German or Dutch Key. (PA3EGH Collection)	Postal Key by Gurlt
Rear Pivot Camelback Key by Zimmerman, Leipzig	Another Camelback Key by Zimmerman. (UA3AO Collection)	Key With 2 Sets of Springs For Accurate Tension Adjustment	Another Key with Double Adjustment Springs
Ernst Leybold Successor	Close-up of Leybold Nameplate	Telefunken Type 271a Army Key	Close-up of Name Stamp
Military Key With Tall Knob Used in Airplanes. Knob Made it Easier to Handle With Gloves	Another German Key With a Tall Knob. Maker Unknown	Unknown Key With Tall Binding Posts	WW1 German Army Key Type M-99 by Schuchhardt. 1918
Another Unknown German Military Key	Another View of the German Military Key	A Small German Key, Possibly From a Field Set. Schuchhardt Type T24. 1928	Another View of the Small German Key
Top View of the Key, Showing the Schuchhardt Symbol, Which Consists of an "S" Over an "F", for Ferdinand Schuchhardt	Type T1 German Army Key, Ca. 1934	Inside the Type T1 Key	Key & Buzzer Set by Hegra, Ca. 1935
Radio Key by Allei, Ca. 1938	Another View of the Allei Key	German Luftwaffe Flameproof Key by BAL. US Navy Type 26003 Key Was Based on This Design	German Army "Maus" Key, Made by TKP. Used by the Luftwaffe as a Training Key
The Maus Key With the Cover Open	Another Version of the TKP "Maus" Key. This Version Was Used in German Tanks During WW2	The Maus Key With the Cover Open	The Maus Key was Also Made with a Brown Bakelite Cover
Telefunken Model T.2. An Aircraft Key Used by German Luftwaffe During WW2	Close-up of the Nameplate on the Telefunken T.2	Inside the Telefunken T.2	The Lorenz Version of the Type T.2 Key
Inside the Lorenz Type T.2	Type T 17a German Military Key by MFP	Side View of the Type T 17a Key	Inside the Type T 17a
The Base of the Type T 17a Key Contains a Noise Suppression Filter	Another T 17a Key. This One Made by Lorenz	"Upside-Down" Key. Maker Unknown	Other Side of the Upside-Down Key
Type TT.1 Key	Inside the Type TT.1 Key	Close-up of the TT.1 Label	German Luftwaffe Type TG.2a Key. Used on the Dornier "Flying Pencil" Bomber
Inside the TG.2a Key	WW2 German Army Key by Hans Widmaier, Munich	Inside the Widmaier Key	Junker Army Key With Cover
Inside the Junker Key	Junker Key With Leg Mount	Unknown German Military Key	Small German Military Key. Maker Unknown. Probably Used in a Military Field Set
German Luftwaffe Type TG.5a Flameproof Key	Inside the Flameproof Key	Another Luftwaffe Flameproof Key	Inside the Luftwaffe Key
Another German Luftwaffe Key	Telefunken Type ZTK-129 Army Key	Inside the Telefunken ZTK-129	Telefunken Type ST563
Inside the Telefunken ST563	Telefunken Type FuG7	The Telefunken FuG7 With the Cover Removed	Unknown German Military Key
Top View of the German Military Key	German Radio Key Marked "Dofro"	Another View of the "Dofro" Key	German Radio Key by Paul Gottschalk, Munich
Close-Up of the Gottschalk Nameplate	East German Army Type MT-50 by Funkwerk Kopernick	Close-up of the Funkwerk Kopernick Key. "Enstort" Means the Key Has an interference Suppression Filter	Inside the MT-50 Key
East German Army Key	Inside the East German Key	Unknown German Army Key	East German Army Key By EGB, Leipzig
Inside the EGB Key	EGB Label	East German FME-33 Sideswiper by Jablonsky	Unknown Key With Switch. Similar to Danish Amplidan Keys
Inside the German Key With Switch	Hannes Bauer Straight Key	Unknown German Key With Blue Hammertone Finish	Another View of the Blue-Base Key
Top View of the Blue-Base Key	A German Key Commemorating 500 Years of Postal Service	Top View of the German Commemorative Key	Another Key by Ernst Leybold Successor
	A Different View of the Leybold Key

 

 

 

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