I used to own a "Two Potato Clock" back when I was a kid. It would run on potatoes, oranges, even water. It was fun for about a week, or until the potatoes really began to stink.

Looks like a compressor used to bind a stack of newspaper or other papers together. Once compressed, you could then bind them, wrapping your rope, string, wire, etc.

The letters look as though they're raised, could it be a device to create numbered buttons of a sort? kinda like how the "seals" were made in older times, using wax... or how the old Mints made coins...?

While a great concept, having chips in keys, this is not a cure all. Leaving your vehicle at a service station for an oil change or any service work could be enough to get your vehicle stolen. The grease monkey could take the key you left, go to the dealership and have a duplicate made, returning the original keys to you at the end of your service work. Then following you after the work is done, learning where you live, he could plan to make the heist a few days later, perhaps when you're doing your grocery shopping. He could steal the vehicle, unlocking doors, and turning the ignition using one of the factory supplied keys to your vehicle.

There is no absolute theft solution; even security measures used are referred to as "theft deterrents".