CORREOS REP. of MEXICO (R.M.) VARIATIONS PADLOCK

The padlock marked "Correos R.M." (Republic of Mexico Post Office) was made by Smith & Egge (Bridgeport, Connecticut-USA), E.J. Brooks (New York, NY-USA), and J.H.W. Climax (Newark, N Jersey-USA) for Central and South American Countries (Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Haiti, etc.) -- all during the period of 1871-1920. Pictured above is a Brooks padlock stamped "Correos R.M." , a Smith & Egge padlock - normally sold as a retail padlock - overstamped "Correos R.M." -- with the retail padlock shown for comparison, and a J.H.W. Climax padlock with no stamping whatsoever on the body. The latter lock may have been sold retail only. Consequently, it is difficult to say how Brooks and Climax were legally able to made this particular model padlock, regardless of the stamping variations, since it was first patented by Smith & Egge.