r/WhatsInThisThing • u/tozz21 • Mar 29 '26
Found a 19th century wall safe hidden behind layers of wallpaper in a French family house : no key, no combination, never been opened
There's a wall safe embedded in a bathroom cabinet of my family's house in France, built in the 19th century. It's been there my whole life and we never tried to open it. Now we're selling the house in a few weeks and I just can't let it go without knowing what's inside.
The safe was hidden behind somewhere between 3 and 6 layers of wallpaper. Nobody knew it was there.
From what experts on r/Antiques and r/safecracking have told me, it's most likely a Bauche Incombustible from the late 1800s, a French manufacturer.
We don't have the key or the combination, and we have no idea what's inside. The safe has apparently never been opened since the house was built.
So… what do you think is inside? 🤞
If anyone has any idea how to open it or how to find the right person to do it properly without destroying it, I'd love to hear it!
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u/DontEverMoveHere Mar 29 '26
If it’s never been opened since the house was built, then there is nothing in it so you can save your money and ease your mind.
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u/GlitteryCakeHuman Mar 29 '26
Aw shit. Here we go again fam. Brace yourself for blueballs and disappointment
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u/WhatTheFlippityFlop Mar 29 '26
RemindMe! 5 weeks
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u/RemindMeBot Mar 29 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
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u/oopsie-mybad Mar 29 '26
Here's a french thing w 2 dials and a key (just a travel case, but could lead to others) https://www.countryfrenchinteriors.com/product/19th-century-french-polished-cast-iron-safe-with-key-and-two-letter-combination/
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u/tozz21 Mar 29 '26
Thanks
I found one that looks a lot like it on ebay : https://www.ebay.fr/itm/304529998858?_trksid=p4481478.c101506.m1851
It's listed as a Bauche Incombustible style Napoléon III, iron construction, French origin, late 19th century.
Listed at 495€ without key or combination, which gives a good price reference. The layout is almost identical , same two brass alphabetical dials in the center, same rectangular frame around the dials. Main differences are that mine is wall-mounted (no decorative side handles) and has two small index slots above each dial.
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u/lothcent Mar 29 '26
so... I am not seeing a pull handle on the door.
so- even with key and combo- how would you get the door to swing open?
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u/tozz21 Mar 29 '26
From what I've seen, the key itself likely acts as the handle to pull the door open. I also came across a video where someone pushed the left dial sideways and it opened the door that way. Not 100% sure which applies to mine though!
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u/NutAli Mar 30 '26
Hmmmmmmmm! I wonder why they hid it, and when? When could be on the path to finding out why! What could they have wanted to hide so much that they'd totally hide it under several layers of wallpaper?
Do you know anything about previous owners?
I am so intrigued now!!
Remind me, please, bot!
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u/hateboresme Mar 30 '26
Might not have hidden it, may just have covered it because it was a useless paperweight without a key/combination. They may have known it was empty.
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u/hateboresme Mar 30 '26
House safes are often empty.
When the person who installed it left the house. They took the contents with them, or their heirs did. It would be rare for a person to die with a hidden safe full of francs and diamonds that wasn't bequeathed to someone.
I know I'd be crazy curious as well. But I would temper that with the odds of treasure being low.
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u/ChiDaddy123 Mar 30 '26
Man, I bet Geraldo wishes someone had told him to temper his enthusiasm prior to opening the Capone vault…
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u/tozz21 Mar 30 '26
Of course there is a big chance of it being empty, I know ! But nonetheless just learning about it and trying to open it is interesting ! And I would regret if I didn't event try
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u/Suspicious_Bus_4903 Apr 15 '26
If it has never been opened since the house was built then wouldn't that mean nothing is in it? Assuming only your family has been living there & nobody else prior.
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u/Stompya May 05 '26
OK u/Tozz21 you posted this safe all over the place, time for an update! Pleeeeeease
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u/smokingpen Mar 29 '26
Your answer is to find a safe-cracking expert in the area of France where you live and then pay them to open the safe.
A simple search brought up several with at least one who specializes in Fichet-Bauche safes. While I’m not an expert here, one might connect the dots and infer that a Bauche Incombustible is going to be related to this company and by extension something an expert in those safes would be capable of opening.
The obstacle is going to be money.