Antique Cast Iron Banks

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Vintage Cast Iron Banks from the Charles Westley Atwood (1862-1931) Collection

Mr. Charles Westey Atwood started collecting cast iron banks when he was a boy. He passed his collection down to his son, Dudley W. Atwood, who continued the tradition. Their collection centered around still banks, however, every so often a mechanical bank caught their eye and they expanded their collection. Mr. Atwood passed his collection of banks down to the wife of his grandson, Dudley. She has graciously allowed us to showcase them here at Agnestelle of Whitewood.

For a better understanding of the two types included in the Atwood collection, here is a brief description of both still and mechanical cast iron banks.

A Still Cast Iron Bank describes any type of money box, strong box, or receptacle designed to receive and store coins. The oldest coin storage units were sturdy portable boxes modeled after military banks of the 18th century. Those still banks made of metal were virtually impregnable fortresses for money. When made for children, the goal of inexpensive “bank boxes” was to encourage saving money inside them. Parents and grandparents tend to think that having children save their coins was an excellent practice that fostered thrift or at least preplanning.

A Mechanical Cast Iron Bank describes any type of container with a decorative mechanical action used to store coins. They were originally intended to promote saving money among children in the mid-19th century. Frequently made of cast iron, mechanical banks were often creatively designed, depicting historical, legendary or everyday events to increase their appeal. Each bank performed a stunt or an action when a coin was dropped into a slot and a lever was pulled. The banks quickly became popular with children and adults alike and soon became a sought-after collector's item.

Today, the two main groups of collectible cast iron banks consist of simple coin collectors, known as still banks and mechanical banks.

Still Banks

The most famous type of still bank is the piggy bank, which gets it name from an orange-colored clay called pygg, but many more still banks came in all sorts of shapes—from houses to bureaus to the busts of presidents and famous persons. In a step beyond sturdy slotted boxes, were those made of ceramics or glass. The most popular being the classic piggy bank. Once a coin was dropped in perhaps it was stored in perpetuity. The oldest form, had to be smashed with a hammer or dropped from a great height, in order to break them open. However, a magnet could sometimes finagle a coin back out.

Coins went in, and children couldn’t get them out without a key, or in recent years, a code. Many still banks depict either a generic “bank building” or other object, such as a car, that had the name of a particular bank imprinted on them. By the 1930s, local banks were giving away still banks with their names as an advertising gimmick to lure customers and keep their names in front of current customers.

Reference: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/coin-operated/still-banks

Mechanical Banks

Toward the end of the 19th century, a fad for mechanical banks emerged that lasted well into the 1930s. Small portable banks were activated to do something when a coin was inserted: arms moved, flags waved, or a cover closed. A lid might come down and hide the coin slot or a message might appear. Made of metal, largely cast-iron, perhaps with tin outer parts, mechanical banks are usually heavy even when not loaded with coins. At any rate, “mechanical” here means something changes, and often that something was quite clever, serving to amuse or puzzle children.

By the early 1930s, popular mechanical banks often depicted movie stars or other historical figures. Soon advertisers understood the marketing value of still and mechanical banks. Among the most popular of mechanicals are those emulating a sports action, such as swinging a bat or kicking a soccer ball when a coin is dropped in a slot.

Still another collectible area consists of banks involving cars, mostly models of luxury racers. Adding a coin releases a wound coil that drives the car’s wheels a modest distance. These pseudo-banks have little to do with saving money but a lot to do with entertainment. Generally, turning the car upside down and shaking it released any coins inside to “play” the action again.

Reference: https://www.collectorsweekly.com/coin-operated/mechanical-banks

Still Bank		Mechanical Bank
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Collectible items made in Occupied Japan during the summer of 1945 through the spring of 1952 while U.S. troops were in the country. The entire collection is up for sale and includes all documentation.

As of March 2023, Agnestelle of Whitewood only has finished pieces for sale. All vintage molds, bisque and supplies have been turned over to Emma's Ceramic Studio (ECS).

Authentic still and Mechanical cast iron banks from the Collection of Charles Westley Atwood. These banks were first manufactured in the late 1800s, to instill the concept of earning saving money.