Antique Cast Iron Mechanical Bank – McLaughlin – “Guessing Bank”
Item History & Price
This bank is 100% original, except for the missing key andhorse hair pointer, and completely operational.Patented in 1877 by Edward McLaughlin, the patent was soldto George(?) Sherman. Sherman commissioned an unknown number of samples forjobbers to assess demand. (Manufacturer is unknown.) Sherman determined thatmass production would not be profitable so no additional units were made.The reason? Storekeepers determined that this “toy” wasreally an arcade type gambling machine. Very... few wanted to be seen as promotinggambling to children.This may be one of the few remaining and could be the only originalGuessing Bank sample left that is not in a private collection.From MBCA (Griffith): “To sum up, the Guessing Bank is arather large impressive item which does not look like the generally acceptedversion of a toy mechanical bank. To the best of the writer’s knowledge alimited number of these banks exist, all of which were found by Mr. Haber. Itis a very interesting bank and makes an unusual addition to a collection ofmechanical banks.”The top part of the bank is made of zinc alloy containinggold-bronze pigment. The number dial has a white porcelain finish with blacknumerals. The base is cast iron painted black.Other than some paint loss, there are no apparent conditionissues with no previous repairs or restoration and no touch-up or repaint ofany kind.Approximate Dimensions: 9.5” H x 6.25” L x 5.25” W (24.1cm x 15.9cm x 13.3cm)Approximate Weight: 5 lbs. 9.2 oz. (2.54kg)Please review all photos. What you see is what you get.US Priority Mail shipping plus $2.00 handling; buyer pays. Additionalinsurance as necessary; seller pays.International buyers are responsible for all charges totransship from eBay’s Global Shipping Center.Depending on your location, eBay may add sales tax to yourpurchase as required by your state.Thanks for your interest and good luck.
