piggy bank?

[Eastern Canuck]

Greetings folks,

Wonderin' if ya'll could have a gander at these pics and lend some info. Very new to this hobby, was excited when I found this as it's probably only the 3rd item I've managed to unearth fully intact. My best guess is it's some kind of piggy bank. It measures 2-7/8" at the base and 3-1/8" at the widest point. Approx. 4-1/8" tall. The 'coin slot' measures about 1-3/16" x 1/4". I'm sure my theory is way off, if so please be gentle as I am just newbie in the big wide world!

Any info. provided would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
H.

 

[Eastern Canuck]

RE: piggy bank? ---> 2nd pic

Here's another pic:

 

[Caretaker maine]

that's not a piggy bank, a bank maybe, this is a piggy bank hehe I'm in a silly mood tonite, going to be 50's this weekend, the cold is over[]

 

[Eastern Canuck]

I've been surfing the net since I lugged this 'pygg jar' home this evening - they all seem to point in the same direction:

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpiggybank.htm

Piggy Bank
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No one invented the piggy bank. The piggy banks' origin owes more to the history of language, than to an individual inventor. In old english (around the 15th century) there was a word "pygg" which referred to a type of orange clay. People made all kinds of useful objects out of clay, including dishes and jars to hold spare change. Around the 18th century, the word "pygg" now sounded the same as the word for the animal "pig". An unknown person(s) thought to shape a "pygg" jar, to look just like a real "pig". Perhaps an order came in for a "pygg" jar and the potter misunderstood.

http://www.boothemold.com/Merchandising/Pygg/Photo.htm

So why do we save our coins in a piggy bank? During The Middle Ages, in about the fifteenth century, metal was expensive and seldom used for household wares. Instead, dishes and pots were made of an economical clay called pygg. Whenever housewives could save an extra coin, they dropped it into one of their clay jars. They called this their pygg bank or their piggy bank. Over the next two hundred years, people forgot that the orange clay called "pygg." referred to the earthenware material.

Now if only I could find some pictures!

 

[Road Dog]

Caretaker your pig looks like Royal Copely.

 

[Road Dog]

Here is a Nice Royal Copely also.

 

[Road Dog]

RE: piggy bank? ---> 2nd pic

"H", Another possibility with that could be to hold old razor blades.Banks had holes on the bottom usually so you could easily break out the bottom to get the money out. Razor Blade Holders would not have holes.

 

[TROG]

It was definitely a money box or bank as it was designed to hold your coins and as it had no other opening for removal of money hopefully it would be filled before having to smash it to get the coins out. These are actually quite rare as obviously most were broken to remove coinage

 

[Eastern Canuck]

When I was washing the mud out I had my fingers crossed that there was more than just dirt rattling around inside. Of course there wasn't anything besides dirt.

Thanks for the input guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[Caretaker maine]

drill a hole in the bottom, cork it , fill with dollar coins, when filled buy a bottle with the money[]