NATCHEZ — Dignitaries and new industries visiting Natchez in the next two months shouldn’t get their hopes up about receiving a special gift with figurative powers.

The mayor is fresh out of keys to the city.

Four years ago, in keeping with the tradition, Mayor Jake Middleton designed a key to the city to be used during his administration.

He had 50 copies made to give to worthy recipients at special occasions.

With less than two months left in office, Middleton is down to his very last key. But it’s not going to be a gift.

“I’m keeping this one,” he said. “It’s the very last one, and I want to keep it as a memento.”

Middleton’s key is a large decorative pewter key with the Natchez flag on the handle and “Mayor Jake Middleton” inscribed on the blade of the key.

Middleton said designing a key has allowed Natchez mayors to put a personal spin on the key-making tradition in the mayor’s office.

Along with designing a key, mayors usually design a lapel pin, Middleton said. Middleton designed his lapel pin to match his key.

Keys to the city, Middleton said, are typically given to people at the request of local officials to new industry developers or special guests in town. He said he recently gave a key to the captain of the American Queen and has given keys to international performers at the Natchez Festival of Music in the past.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” he said. “I think a lot of people think it’s a neat keepsake to carry back home with them.”

Middleton gave keys to all of the current aldermen, Natchez City Attorney Everett Sanders and other local city and county officials. He also gave a key to his wife, Mitzi, as a memento.

The keys cost about $12 each to have made, Middleton said.

Since the minimum order is 50 keys and Middleton’s term will end June 30, the mayor said he is going to hold off on having any more keys made.

“I’m not just going to go spend $600 on 50 new keys,” he said. “If something comes up, we can have one made.”

Although the key is only decorative and not functional, Middleton said he had a running joke about the lock the key opened.

“I used to tell everybody it opened up all the bank vaults in town,” he said laughing.