mechanical banks
Animated savings toys
Mechanical banks are coin-operated savings devices, typically made of cast iron, that perform an animated action when a coin is deposited.
Popular from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, these banks feature mechanisms triggered by levers or buttons that cause figures to move—a baseball player throws a coin into a catcher's mitt, a frog flips a coin into its mouth.
They were designed to encourage children to save money by making the act entertaining.
Antique mechanical banks are now prized collectibles.
Pivoting bar for lifting
- springRecoiling metal spiral
- gearToothed wheel or belongings
- wind-upFinal part or end
- hand-crankedTurned by rotating lever
cast-iron · tin · movable · action · trigger · coin-operated · trap · clockwork
Payment insertion point
- depositPlace for safekeeping
- piggybankChild's savings container
- pennyOne-cent piece
- savingsAccumulated money kept
thrift · frugality · coin · currency · money box · slot · accumulation · nest egg
Of a prim era
- turn-of-the-centuryTime near 1900 or 2000
- AmericanaHeritage artifacts or music
- antebellumBefore a war's start
- nostalgiaLonging for the past
retro · classic · old-fashioned · period · 19th-century · patina
Old valued collectible
- auctionCompetitive public sale
- provenanceRecord of ownership
- appraisalEstimation of worth
- restorationReturning something to condition
rarity · acquisition · heirloom · patina · conservation · memorabilia · ephemera · numismatics
Object for amusement
- noveltyQuality of being original
- whimsicalPlayfully fanciful or erratic
- childrenYoung human beings
- amusementPleased entertainment state
entertainment · figurine · animated · interactive · replica · hand-painted · colorful · charming
lever
Pivoting bar for lifting
hand-cranked · cast-iron · tin · movable · action · trigger · coin-operated · trap · clockwork · ratchet
coin slot
Payment insertion point
savings · thrift · frugality · coin · currency · money box · slot · accumulation · nest egg · rainy day
Victorian
Of a prim era
- turn-of-the-centuryTime near 1900 or 2000
- AmericanaHeritage artifacts or music
- antebellumBefore a war's start
nostalgia · retro · classic · old-fashioned · period · 19th-century · patina
antique
Old valued collectible
- auctionCompetitive public sale
- provenanceRecord of ownership
- appraisalEstimation of worth
restoration · rarity · acquisition · heirloom · patina · conservation · memorabilia · ephemera · numismatics · curiosity
plaything
Object for amusement
amusement · entertainment · figurine · animated · interactive · replica · hand-painted · colorful · charming · playful
mechanical, banks, mechanic, mechanics, mechanically, mechanism, mechanisms, mechanize, mechanized