From 18th century automatons that could write a full letter to the player pianos featured in every saloon, mechanical inventions have fascinated us for centuries. Yet the smallest pieces can garner ...

In the good old days, all sorts of fascinating and funny banks were produced to encourage children to save their pennies. When activated by inserting a coin, these cast-iron banks performed clever ...

There are many types of collectible banks: still, advertising, registering, etc. One of the most collectible banks, however, is a mechanical bank, often featured on the "Antique Roadshow" on TV. The ...

A penny saved is a penny earned, so said Benjamin Franklin more than 200 years ago. It was good advice then and it’s good advice today. With our up-and-down stock market and the shaky economy, ...

WHAT: Cast-iron banks have been a popular collecting category since their origin in the late 19th century. First created as a toy, they were a gimmick, a frequent giveaway to promote savings or ...

Hubley Manufacturing Co. mechanical banks stand among the more prized items of collectors of the former Lancaster-based toy manufacturer’s cast-iron creations. Two examples — a trick dog, and an ...

When a mechanical cast-iron bank based on the Bible story featuring Jonah and a whale brought $119,125 last month at Morphy Auctions in Denver, Pa., few were surprised. One of the most desired ...

Cast-iron banks like this were used to teach children that saving can be fun. Now, collectors must save up to buy them. A mechanical bank like this “Two Frogs” bank used to put on a show for as little ...

The upcoming auction of a mechanical-bank collection promises to draw plenty of interest. Max Berry remembers the evening in the early 1970s when he and his wife hosted Yitzhak Rabin for dinner at ...

In this intricate mechanical bank, the user balances a coin on the miniature man's gun, which then shoots the coin into a slot in the tree. Image courtesy of Kidd's Toy Museum There’s a whole lot of ...