Dental Key With Ivory Handle Unknown Signature, C. 1800

Very beautiful dental key, known as the English or Garengeot key, used for extracting teeth, France, early 19th century. The handle is in ivory, the stem is in forged steel with a double faceted octagonal base and the steel hook is of an original shape, partially square and not completely rounded. The key bears an unknown sign "Vincent" with a hallmark whose shape we do not understand. Under the name of Vincent, it seems possible to us to guess the city of "Rouen" with the rest of the five letters which did not have room to be punched on the narrow stem. We know of a Vincent in Romans active in the 18th century but no Vincent in Rouen during the first half of the 19th century capable of manufacturing surgical instruments of such quality. The dental key measures 12cm in length and the handle 7.8cm in width. Despite some minor defects on the handle, very good condition.