Coining it!
Mo r p h y ’ s recent auction of mechanical banks attracted many whose interest lay in this highly specialised area. It’s clearly an American passion but for anyone on these shores deciding to join the fray, a warning: banks mean big bucks!
The premier collection auctioned had been built over a 40 year period and featured some of the most elusive, beautifully preserved banks known to exist. In total, the 184 banks realised US$2m, inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium.
The top seller, a J& E Stevens “Shoot the Chute” bank featuring the beloved early comic strip characters of Buster Brown and his dog Tige, swept past its U$80,000120,000 estimate to land at U$156,000. It was complete with its original wooden box. The bank is also the very example depicted in Morphy’s 2007 reference book, The Official Price Guide to Mechanical Banks.
A classic mechanical bank, Kyser & Rex’s “Mikado” has the type of complex action bank enthusiasts find irresistible. An illusionist stands behind an ornately decorated table and makes a coin appear then disappear under a hat, only to reappear under a second hat, like a shell game. This rare bluebase version in near mint condition attracted 13 bids before settling within estimate at US$81,000.
Saalheimer & Strauss German tin banks made in the 1920s/1930s for English-language markets finished in surprisingly rich territory, perhaps signalling a new trend to watch? An example of the company’s amusing Mickey Mouse Type 4 “Smile Please!” bank, which depicts the famous cartoon rodent playing a concertina on its front and assuming the role of a photographer on its reverse, rose to US$31,200 against an estimate of US$15,000-20,000. ■