Uncle Sam Antique Replica Bank

Popular since the war of 1812, mechanical banks are collectible art worldwide. This one, cast in foundry iron from a historic 1880s mold by the Shepard Hardware Company, is authentic from top hat to soapbox. Uncle Sam s beard moves as the coin in his spring-loaded hand drops smartly into the U.S. treasury bag at his feet. Hand-painted to highlight each original detail! 4"Wx3"Dx10"H. 7 lbs. Design Toscano Collectors' Die-Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Banks Cast Iron banks have long been treasured collectibles, popular in Renassance Europe and even found among the tombs of ancient civilizations. In the US, mechanical banks became a household staple as 18th-century parents sought to reinforce Benjamin Franklin's aphorism: "A penny saved is a penny earned." After the Civil War, toy mechanical cast-iron models were produced en masse until about 1930. Operating with the drop of a coin or the push of a lever, these clever banks, produced in hundreds of different themes, sizes and personalities.