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Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
September 2020 |
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Banking With
Baseball Memorabilia |
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Steven KeyMan |
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By Steven KeyMan |
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Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
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Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
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 Classic
nineteenth-century painted
cast-iron bank features a figural
pitcher, batter and catcher, set
above the rectangular coin vault
base. Each of the "players" have a
moving head and arms. The pitcher's
arm swings back and, when a button
is pushed, pitches a coin into the
trap door on the catcher's stomach
while the batter swings and misses.
Manufactured by the J & E Stevens
Company of Cromwell, CT., the
"Dark
Town Battery" bank or "Home Town
Darkies" is the only
nineteenth-century bank designed
with a baseball theme, and is also
the only mechanical bank of the era
to have three figures each with
moving parts as part of their
mechanical action.
A "politically correct"
reproduction mechanical bank called
"Home Town Battery" was made during the 1950s through the
1960s which were made by "The Book
Of Knowledge." Reproduction
banks that were made in China were
made in the 1990s. Other banks that
were made in Taiwan read "BASE
BALL" on the front instead of
"HOMETOWN BATTERY"
In 1944, Yankee Products Co. of
Asbury Park, New Jersey, Issued a
pair of glass baseball banks. One
style called a Yank Bank featured
"New York Yankees" in red lettering
on the sweet spot, flanked by Lou
Gehrig's signature on the left, and
Bill Dickey on the right.
The blue stich coin bank was also available lettered with St. Louis
Cardinals in red flanked on each
side by a Cardinal Bird and bat.
Each Bank was offered through the
mail for $1.00 postage paid.
During the 1950's the Regal Awards
Co. issued "autographed mementos"
honoring Jackie Robinson. The items
included an automatic daily-dime
register bank, statuettes, rabbit
foots, and a bronze plated 5" high
coin-bank with lifelike and
autographed sculptured bust, for a
cost of $2.00. An autographed photo
of Jackie Robinson was given away
free with a purchase of $1.00.
Beware of reproductions that were
issued in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Stanford Pottery issued porcelain
razor banks during the late
1940's through the early 1950.s
These were made for Shaving Razor
Blade Disposals not as coin Banks,
but I'm sure grade school kids that
didn't have a 5 o'clock shadow
place coins in them. A classic of
hand-molded, and hand-painted
craftsmanship, these ceramic
Stanford Pottery baseball team
banks are highly sought-after
today. Teams include the Boston
Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers, Cleveland
Indians, Detroit Tigers,
Philadelphia A's, Pittsburgh
Pirates, and minor league teams.
These
1950's tin toy era coin banks
were made by Ohio Art, of Etch A
Sketch fame. The bank features a
white regulation size tin baseball,
atop of a red base that reads
"WORLD CHAMPIONS" in large white
letters. The inner base has the
manufacture credit "Ohio Art Co,"
opposite "Made in U.S.A."
The sweet spot on the lithographed
red & blue stitched baseball reads
"OFFICIAL, LEAGUE BALL" in blue
lettering. With the coin slot at
the top of the baseball, the coin
release is located under the base,
and the metal plug is often
missing.
From 1956-1958 the baseball
autograph coin bank became a
popular gift given away by banks
when opening a savings account.
This
American All Stars bank was
manufactured by Kosta Dana-Barrell
Inc. In 1958 these All Star
baseball coin banks were give away
across the country by banks when
you opened a $5.00 savings account.
This bank featured 10 autographs
and was given away by Fidelity
Federal Savings, Milwood branch
located at 315 S. Burdick St. -
Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Hillerich & Bradsby baseball
bat coin banks were made from the
1950s through the 1980s. Both
Player and team bats. The bats for
the earlier coin banks were made of
wood. Plastic was used in the later
years.
The banks with 10 bats were made in
1961 or later, the first year the
leagues expanded from 8 teams to
10. Separate banks were made for
the American & National Leagues. The coins
were deposited through a slot at
the top. To empty the bank all the
bats need to be removed, the top is
then turned and can be opened.
These
Ceramic Baseball Cap Banks
were issued by Wyatt Dunagan and
Williams Inc. from 1968 through the
1970s. The company produced banks
with both Major and minor league
team caps, to be sold as
advertising premiums. Most of their
clients were savings banks but some
might have been made to be sold as
souvenirs.
Generic baseball cap banks were issued like the one pictured here (later
hand painted) that was used for the
7th Annual NSCC National Sports
Collectors Convention in Arlington
Texas, held on July 25, 26, & 27, 1986.
Often advertised as vintage early
1900's, these
"SLUGGER" baseball
player cast iron coin banks are
actually a modern retro production.
The painted antique finish gives
the bank an artificial patina and
an authentic vintage or antique
look.
Because the banks are sometimes listed as "antique," or point out the
resemblance to Babe Ruth, they
sometimes sell in the $100.-$200.
price range. However, the market is
flooded with these banks and are
commonly selling on ebay for about
$25.-40.
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KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
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KeyMan
Collectibles Collectors Corner
- Keep up with the latest collecting news,
announcements, and articles of interest on the
webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
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KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
Memorabilia Facebook Group -
Post Questions and comments relating to
Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact
with other collectors or show off your
collection. |
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KeyMan Collectibles Forum
- A great option for those that "Don't do
facebook" Post Questions and
comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and
Memorabilia |
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