Posted 1 year ago
dav2no1
(837 items)
1974 Banthrico Car Coin Banks
Studebaker
Cord
My sister picked these up at a garage sale for me. She knows I love the car/truck banks. These are made by Banthrico. One is a Studebaker and the other is a Cord. They are each marked on the bottom of the car. One is marked on the bottom of the running board and the other under the bumper. Both are stamped Bantrico Chicago and have Puget Sound National Bank labels attached to them.
The earlier banks had keys. A lot of those got destroyed when the keys were lost and people needed the money within. These banks just have pop off doors.
IN THE BEGINNING
In 1914 the Banker's Thrift Corporation was founded in Chicago, Illinois. The company produced small home coin banks. One of their more popular models was a bank that was shaped like a small book. Obviously the fact it could easily be hidden amongst your books helped its popularity.
Before long the company was manufacturing everything from famous politicians amd household items to animals and buildings.
NEW GUYS NOT DEPRESSED
1931 along with their subsidiary the company was purchased by Jerome Aronson and Joseph Eisendrath, who promptly created a new business by shortening the original name to Banthrico (the "I" pronounced as a long "E").
I find this interesting.. because remember..this was just a few years into "The Great Depression".
THE COIN BANK PEOPLE
The company only had about 75 employees but made over 900 varieties of banks during the next decade. The majority of the banks were sold to financial institutions.
MORE THAN A ONE TRICK PONY
Banthrico expanded their product line making trophies, figurines, bookends and lamp parts.
In 1985 they were purchased by Toystalgia(known for small-scale wooden coin banks). Eventually that company was also purchased.
Cutting Edge Industries of Linden, New Jersey started reproducing products from the original molds including 98 varieties of autos. These new pieces did not bear the Banthrico name.
PUGET SOUND NATIONAL BANK
Established in January of 1890. Was in business until 2017 when it was aquired by a larger financial company.
Great info ,,, Love the banks very cool to have the stickers intact
In case you were wondering how they were made and what the material was..
"Most of the banks were made of "white metal" consisting of 95% zinc, 5% aluminum and traces of copper, brass, and lead. the production required a highly skilled workforce including a sculptor, mold maker, engraver, chemist, and metallurgist. the production was by hand: the caster poured the molten metal into each mold separately. later, imperfections and burrs were removed with a belt sander and buffing wheel. Banks were then colored through an electroplating process and a clear lacquer was applied."