From Mechanical Banks to Piggy Banks

Mechanical banks first appeared on the market in the late 1800's. A patent for Halls Excelsior was filed in 1869. Since then, over 400 distinct types of mechanical banks and hundreds of variations have been produced. When one manufacturer produced a bank that gained popularity, another would copy it. The Mechanical Banks were toys and they were amusing, but the intent was to teach children how to be thrifty.

The Mechanical Bank gained popularity shortly after WW II. Foundries started producing them as a sideline. As the competition increased, the manufacturers strove to make their banks more complex than the competitor's. Depending on a series of levers, springs, and wheels, the characters depicted on the bank performed a stunt every time a coin was dropped into it.

Still banks were the first toy banks to be mass produced in the United States. They had no moving parts and usually depicted buildings, animals and people.

Whether you are a serious collector or collect banks for fun, understanding exactly what you are buying is essential. For more information of still iron banks and mechanical banks, click on the websites listed below.

Mechanical Bank Collectors of America

Collectors Bank on Mechanical Toys

Toys as History

Mechanical Banks: Antique Toys

Pottery has existed for centuries. In the old days most people were poor and metal was expensive, but clay was cheap. Pygg was the cheapest type of clay so it was used in household wares and such. As the quality of pottery improved, the pygg jars were replaced with new jars. Unlike in today society, people didn't automatically throw away items that were replaced. The old jars were used to store extra coins, buttons and such. After a time, the original meaning for pygg was lost. So when a nineteenth century potter got a request for a pygg bank, he assumed the customer wanted a piggy bank and the first piggy bank was born.

The mechanical and still banks were introduced as a means of teaching children how to save. It worked for earlier generations. Do you think it works today? Are our children learning how to save?