Description:

In the nineteenth century, trade cards advertised every business, product, and service imaginable. Among the most interesting products promoted via trade cards were mechanical banks. These were toy savings banks, usually made of cast iron, with one or more moving parts. Toy mechanical banks are eminently collectible today. This alone would ensure interest in the trade cards that advertise these banks, but mechanical bank trade cards stand on their own. They are absolutely terrific trade cards from any objective graphics standpoint, and they are extremely scarce. Mechanical Bank Trade Cards, originally published privately by Bruce D. Roberts in 1996 in a limited edition of 100 copies, looks at each known bank trade card in depth. Full-size, full-color illustrations of each mechanical bank trade card (including variants) are here, along with approximate valuations. Information on bank manufacturers and trade card printers is included as well.