"Eagle Bank" Mechanical Bank, 1883-1910

01

Artifact Overview

Saving money can be fun. Beginning in the late 1800s, families could purchase banks that used ingenious mechanisms to deposit money. This mechanical bank has an eagle that looks as if it is feeding its young. Place a coin in the eagle's mouth and depress the lever; the eagle will lurch forward and deposit the coin.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Mechanical bank

Date Made

1883-1910

Creator Notes

Patented by Charles M. Henn, Chicago, Illinois. Manufactured by J. & E. Stevens Company, Cromwell, Connecticut.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

31.959.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cast iron

Color

Gray (Color)
Black (Color)
Green
Brown
Yellow (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 6 in
Length: 8.5 in
Width: 5 in

Inscriptions

On bottom: PAT JAN 23 / 1883