Rare money box is money in the bank
THE post-war years were really tough but even in those days the bill settlement suggestion was fairly unusual: Part cash – plus a funny old money box! Did the painter and decorator accept the offer from the hard-up householder? Rather reluctantly he did. Was it a good decision? Actually it was a very, very, good decision.
The cast iron mechanical money box or ‘money bank’ was a 19th century American invention, hugely popular and mass produced in great quantities. Imported American money banks regularly turn up in the saleroom and can usually be picked up for quite modest sums.
However far fewer of these novelties were manufactured on this side of the Atlantic, with the result that they are today exceptionally rare – and the painter and decorator’s money box is the rarest of the lot.
It is a ‘Wimbledon
Bank’, which was designed by the Staffordshire firm of John Harper & Co in 1885 and thought to be the very first mechanical moneybox produced in England. It features a prone British infantryman who fires the saver’s coin into the slot of a pillbox with a spring-loaded gun. The coin then drops into the base.
Harpers called it the ‘Wimbledon’ bank to make a connection with one of the country’s most important sporting events - the National Rifle Association’s annual Queen’s Trophy that took place on Wimbledon Common. (The little tennis tournament in the area didn’t start until 1875, a minor event that attracted just 200 spectators.)
The novelty was originally advertised to trade buyers at 44 shillings and sixpence a dozen, which is just 18½ modern pence apiece. These days the handful that have survived are worth a bit more than that: A year ago a particularly fine example that turned up in Hull made £8,000 when we put it under the hammer.
That result led to the family of the painter and decorator sending their Wimbledon Bank to us from Lancashire for inclusion in the
Collectors Toys & Model Railway Auction that is to take place in Scarborough next Friday (10th). It is not in quite such fine condition as the Hull example but we’re still looking at a pre-sale estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
In total Friday’s auction extends to 136 lots and includes noteworthy collections of model railway, diecast vehicles, games and teddy bears. The catalogue is available on the Internet (davidduggleby. com). Viewing will be taking place at the Vine Street Saleroom in Scarborough on Wednesday and Thursday (8th & 9th) and on Friday morning (10th) from 9am until the start of the auction at 1pm. It is to be webcast with online bidding through DD Live and thesaleroom. com.
Prone British infantryman fires the saver’s coin into the slot of a pillbox with a spring-loaded gun