Sold for: £12
A mechanical money bank manufactured by John Harper and Co. Ltd. of Willenhall, England. This piece is a cast iron bank featuring a bust-length figure with a polychrome painted finish, including a red jacket, white collar, and blue bow tie. The bank operates via a hinged right arm intended to move a coin into the mouth when the rear lever is depressed, a motion traditionally synchronised with rolling eyes. The base plate is secured by a single flat-head screw and features raised vertical lettering. The inscriptions on the base read: PATENT NO 601362, REGD NO 711102, and FOREIGN COUNTRIES. British Patent 601362 was granted to the manufacturer in 1948 for this specific toy savings bank design.
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