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The Antique Detective   The Antique Detective There's always a market for legit mechanical and still banks   By Anne Gilbert There always seem to be buyers when old mechanical and still banks come to auction. However they are far less expensive than a decade ago. This is possibly because of the many reproductions that have sullied the market.   Twenty years ago, when a collection of banks from a major New England financial institution came to market, many sold in the thousands of dollars. A rarity of a figure skipping rope sold for $20,700. It even had rust, chipped paint and a replaced crank.   At a November 2004 James Julia Auction, prices were on the low side. They ranged from $86.50 to a high of $1,207.50 for a Boy Stealing A Watermelon bank.   Many mechanical and still banks were made by the Beaverton Toy Company of Beaverton, Ontario, and were marked “Made in Canada.”   It was Adam Clark Williams of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, who commissioned the Beaverton Toy Company of Beaverton, Ohio, to produce cast iron still banks, around 1909. While everything from cottages to characters were produced the animal figures were the most popular. With most of the original paint intact, a figural horse still bank made by the company can sell these days for $300 or more.   Serious bank collecting began in the 1930s. At that time, banks were selling for up to $50 for mechanicals and a few dollars for still banks.   The 1976 America Bicentennial brought the banks to the attention of a new generation of avid collectors. The result was reproductions, fakes and artificial aging. Among the most popular reproductions were Jonah and the Whale, William Tell, and a plastic Uncle Sam. A trick of the trade was to bury the iron repro in manure to “age it.” There are some shady dealers who might offer these as “authentic” to buyers who don't any better.   Though less than a dozen firms produced mechanical banks, over 600 designs from manufacturers catalogs have been discovered, and millions were made. One of the most famous fakes, The Carnival bank, was made in the 1930s. For a time, it fooled collectors. Today, it is collected as a curiosity.   The Jonah & the Whale mechanical bank has been reproduced over the years.   The sandcast reproductions, because they are recastings, will have a rougher surface and shrinkage. Some of the mechanical parts won't work as well because of the shrinkage. A less than honest seller might explain it as “What do you expect ? It's old.”   Historically, the first iron still banks were minted after the Civil War and resembled the square buildings of their day, topped with cupolas. A new fad was born when a spring action was inserted and the cast iron banks became mechanical.   The solid virtue of thrift was easier to instill in the young when saving became a game. Put a penny in the dog’s mouth and he drops it in the bank. A penny in the slot could also make a soldier bow or a mule kick his heels.   Banks with historical significance are high on collector’s lists. Patriotism, bigotry and humour of the day were popular themes.   The bank known as the Reclining Chinaman” depicts a Chinese gambler lying on a log. This image referred to the hundreds of Chinese workers who served as cheap labour for the railroad construction of the 1800s. Higher-paid American employees resented the immigrant group.   Anti-German banks were popular around the time of World War 1. German submarines were referred to as “pig boats” by American sailors.   Political greed was portrayed in the “Tammany” mechanical bank. It depicts Boss Tweed, from the infamous Tammany Hall of New York City, during the latter part of the 19th century. The greed and corruption were imitated by this bank with the “payoffs” being deposited into Boss Tweed’s coat pocket.   Some banks, both still and mechanical, are also collected as black memorabilia and in one instance also as baseball memorabilia. Such is the case with the J & E. Stevens Darktown Battery mechanical bank. It is considered a rarity. When a coin is placed in the pitcher’s hand and the lever is pressed, the pitcher throws the coin to the catcher as the batter swings and misses and the coin is deposited in the receptacle below.   Animals and birds were also favoured themes. Among them was an American eagle feeding its young.   While still bank rarities have sold for over $6,000, the more common examples go for as low as $60.   Photo credits 1 - Tammany mechanical bank   2 - Cottage still bank made in Canada   3 - Darktown mechanical and battery bank   Anne Gilbert has been self-syndicating her column "The Antique Detective" and special art and antique features since 1983. She has authored nine books on the subject. "The Antique Detective" appears in the Chicago Sun Times, Palm Beach Post, Patriot Ledger and many other newspapers. Over the years, she has appeared on network television and has also been an appraiser for major museums and private individuals.     Return to top of page   This Is Livin' Publishing © 2010 581 8th Line West, RR1 Hastings, ON, K0L 1Y0 Phone/Fax: 705-696-1833   webmaster