Classic nineteenth-century painted cast-iron bank features a figural pitcher, batter and catcher, set above the rectangular coin vault base. Each of the "players" have a moving head and arms. The pitcher's arm swings back and, when a button is pushed, pitches a coin into the trap door on the catcher's stomach while the batter swings and misses. Manufactured by the
J & E Stevens Company of Cromwell, CT., the
"Dark Town Battery" bank or "Home
Town Darkies" is the only nineteenth-century bank designed with a baseball theme, and is also the only mechanical bank of the era to have three figures each with moving parts as part of their mechanical action. "Pat Feb 2 1875" is stamped on the bottom. Extremely desirable bank highly regarded by baseball, Americana, and mechanical-bank collectors alike.
A "politically correct" reproduction
called "Home
Town Battery" was made in the 1950s
Pictured below.
