Antique Banks

Owl Mechanical Bank

Toy banks were conceived and designed as novel ways to take advantage of an emerging toy market. They were promoted and sold as a device to amuse children and to promote thrift. Largely made from cast iron and lithographed sheet tin, still and mechanical banks became immensely popular. Still banks had no discernable action other than the clink of the deposited coin, when the money, usually a penny, was placed into the slot. That is the reason they are called still banks. Mechanical banks, on the other hand, performed some sort of action, visual or audible, upon placing the coin in and subsequently triggering the mechanism. Their actions are mechanically actuated. Ergo, the name – mechanical bank.

Still banks are found in almost infinite variety and were constructed from a broad spectrum of materials – cast iron and tin being some of the most desirable. Approximately 3000 or so still banks have been identified, cataloged and published but there are very likely many more awaiting discovery.

Mechanical banks also exist in a very wide range of styles, subjects, mechanisms and colors. Again, most of them were manufactured of cast iron but some were of tin, tin and cardboard or aluminum. All are quite collectible but those of aluminum are very rare and desirable. Many fine examples were manufactured in the United States, Europe and Britain, with majority coming from the United States.

The best of the cast iron mechanical banks employed fascinating designs, clever mechanical concepts and highly sophisticated casting techniques achieving remarkable detail. These banks reflected the interests and attitudes of the times especially with respect to politics, existing social prejudices, humor in daily life and concerns of the times.

Many banks, especially mechanical banks, have achieved substantial value and continue to escalate in value as fewer and fewer great examples become available. The primary factors that affect value are design, rarity and condition with their order of importance determined by the eye and mind of the individual collector. To achieve super value status a mechanical bank must have all of its original parts with no replacements, a mechanism in excellent working order and its paint in excellent condition. To top off the value proposition, it would be ideal to have the original box accompany the bank.

Today’s video is of the Owl mechanical bank. Although not the rarest and most desirable of mechanical banks, the owl is typically fun and available, making an good starting point for a collection.

To view the video please click on the link below.