Those Old Iron Banks Are Popular With Collectors

A reporter recently tried an experiment in New York City. He dropped five pennies on the sidewalk and watched as dozens of people walked past them. It was only when he added a dime that anyone stopped to pick up the money--and that person took only the dime and left the pennies. In the 19th Century a penny would buy enough candy for a week. A nickel bought a drink and a free lunch, so our ancestors were more careful about saving small coins. Children were encouraged to save pennies in clever and amusing mechanical banks that were like toys.

A penny was placed in the proper place, the lever pulled and the iron bank was activated. One popular bank was shaped like a clown. The penny was placed in his hand and when the lever was pushed the clown swallowed the coin in his mouth while rolling his eyes. The bank, called Humpty Dumpty, was made by the Shepard Hardware Co. of Buffalo, N.Y. It was patented in 1882 in the United States, 1885 in Canada, and later in England. Old iron mechanical banks and iron still banks are popular collectibles.

Question: I have a Victorian center table. The legs are joined by a small stretcher that is topped by a carved dog. When and where was this type of table made?

Answer: Although “dog” tables have been seen in auctions and even museum collections for a long time, it is only recently that the source has been identified. The tables were made in southern Ohio, probably in Cincinnati. An 1869 catalogue of the H. N. Weng & Co. of Cincinnati has been found and it pictures some tables with these curious carved ornaments on the lower shelf. Tables have been made with carvings of squirrels, rabbits and dogs of various breeds.

Q: How was a celery vase used? I noticed an ad for one in a new mail-order catalogue. They pictured it with drooping celery, radish and carrot leaves falling from the top.

A: The celery vase is back in style for buffet tables. The stalks of celery and carrot sticks are kept upright in the glass. It is not really a vase; it is more like an extra-tall footed goblet.

Celery was eaten as a flavoring during the 16th Century. By the mid-17th Century it was almost served like a salad and the stalks and leaves were eaten with oil. The celery stalks were kept white by being covered with built-up piles of soil. Because it required much work, it was expensive and uncommon and was only served at special parties.

The tall celery vase was usually made of pressed glass. It was popular in the 1860s and ‘70s. By the 1880s a low celery dish was preferred. This was probably because of a new type of celery that had white stalks without the expensive earth mounding. It became easier to grow celery and celery became more common. The leaves were left on the stalk and it was served in large pieces.

Q: I have two Stangl bowls. I have learned that Stangl had a plant in Trenton, N.J., in 1930 and that it closed in 1935. Is Stangl still being made? Where?

A: The Stangl Pottery Co. traces its history back to 1805. It was part of a firm that changed ownership and names many times. The name Stangl was first used in 1926. The company continued to use that name on pottery until 1978. Perhaps the many changes of name and ownership confused your research.

CURRENT PRICES:

(Current prices are recorded from antique shows, sales, flea markets and auctions throughout the United States. These prices vary in different locations because of the conditions of the economy.)

Popeye bubble pipe set, $25.

Griswold patty shell set, original box, $35.

Coffee mill, Arcade, glass top, $75.

Heisey milk glass syrup, Beaded Swag, $105.

Oil lamp, Ripley & Co., glass, clear font, flattened chimney, $125.

Roseville wall-pocket, Futura, $140.

Walking doll, German, metal, boy, celluloid head and hands, key-wind, 15in., $200.

Sterling silver demitasse set, Manchester, coffee, open sugar, creamer, tray, $525.

Cash box, National, 45, dovetailed tiger oak, rose, bronze trim, guardrail, hand-shield, inkwell, lift top, operating instructions and sale bill, 1909, $775.

Pool table, Brunswick, Brilliant Novelty, 1880, 4x8 feet, restored, $8,000.