After the frivolity and indulgence of December, most of us are ready to buckle down and embrace the New Year with ambitious resolve toward health, relationships and finance. For those looking to tighten the belt, pinch pennies, or stretch their dollars, perhaps a gift of a daily reminder is in order: vintage and antique banks come in many shapes, sizes and materials. Ohio’s rich history in the fields of metal production and pottery has lent itself well to creative iterations of the classic piggy bank. Though collectors generally do segment by material (cast iron bank collectors vs. pottery vs. glass), the best examples in every category rise above the rest with terrific detail, excellent condition and rarity.
From the cast iron creations of Kenton Hardware to the whimsical pieces from Houghton Pottery, bank collectors have plenty of options to indulge this pragmatic interest. Filled to the brim with each day’s loose change or simply as a reminder to head to the drive-thru teller, these nostalgic pieces may provide a little inspired self-control for the even the most lavish spendthrifts among us.
 |
| This whimsical stoneware bank from Barberton, Ohio dated 1908, and personalized for “Earma L. Cox” born “Dec 25 1908,” was likely given as a Christmas gift to the newborn. Decorated with flowers, a bird and baby Earma, it sold at Garth’s for $5,875. |
 |
| A yellow clay bank, in the form of a log cabin with painted detail, from the Houghton Pottery Company of Dalton, Ohio. The first commercial pottery (of many) in Ohio, Houghton was founded in 1841. This 19th Century example sold at Garth’s for $2,185. |
 | ||||||||||
The Kenton Hardware Company was promoted as "the largest factory in the USA exclusively making cast iron toys" during the earliest years of the 20th Century. This “Columbia Bank” example in cast iron has a combination trap and sold at Garth’s for $1,410.
Bank collecting is a huge field. I have simply touched on a few Ohio examples here, but if we open the discussion to mechanicals, we could do an entirely new article!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment