You can bank on it!

"Birth Bank with Clock" still bank

Artist Unknown (England) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:01:50 -0400

Title	"Birth Bank with Clock" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown (England)
Date	c. 1840
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

with clock face

"Coffin Bank" mechanical bank

Yone — Fri, 01 Jun 1900 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Coffin Bank" mechanical bank
Artist	Yone
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

metal rectangular box bank with printing on two sides; third side has a key with pictures of spiders and webs fourth side has door to coin container; top has plastic skeleton head with a piece of felt covering a skeleton hand

Optimistic Box No. 4 and 5

Robert Filliou — Sat, 01 Jun 1968 00:00:00 -0400

Title	Optimistic Box No. 4 and 5
Artist	Robert Filliou
Date	1968
Institution	Walker Art Center
Location	Not on view.

A pink piggy bank with a label attached to both sides of the pig. One label with text in red "Optimistic Box 4 and 5 One thing I learned since I was born." The other label "That I must die since I was born Robert Filliou"

"Radio Bank" still bank

Artist Unknown (Probably United States) — Fri, 01 Jun 1900 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Radio Bank" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown (Probably United States)
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

clear glass; moulded in the shape of a radio; raised coin slot on top

"T.V. Bank" still bank

Artist Unknown (United States) — Fri, 01 Jun 1945 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"T.V. Bank" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown (United States)
Date	c. 1950s
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

metal bank in the form of a floor model TV; screen and knobs on front; coin slot on top; top comes off to take out coins; case of TV simulates wood; on back is advertising information for a television store

"Lucky Bank" barrel still bank

Artist Unknown () — Fri, 01 Jun 1900 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Lucky Bank" barrel still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown ()
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

clear glass barrel with raised coin slot on top; on front and back in raised letters: 'Lucky Bank'

"Browns Valley State Bank (hat)" still bank

Stronghart Co. — Fri, 01 Jun 1900 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Browns Valley State Bank (hat)" still bank
Artist	Stronghart Co.
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

ranger-style hat with flat brim; red, white and blue twisted cord hat band

"Apple" still bank

Kyser & Rex Company — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:59:02 -0500

Title	"Apple" still bank
Artist	Kyser & Rex Company
Date	1882
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

metal bank in the form of a peach with a red and green bug on it; the peach sits on a small brown branch with three green leaves

"Noah's Ark" still bank

Artist Unknown (Austria) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:03:00 -0500

Title	"Noah's Ark" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown (Austria)
Date	c. 1900
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

small ceramic houseboat bank covered in a shiny light brown glaze; coin slot on top and three windows on each side

"Our Empire, George V & Mary" still bank

Probably Sydenham & McOustra — Mon, 01 Jun 1914 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Our Empire, George V & Mary" still bank
Artist	Probably Sydenham & McOustra
Date	1914
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

bank with center portrait busts of King George and Queen Mary surrounded by a wreath of roses, thistles and shamrocks, topped by a royal coat of arms; banners stating "Our Empire" and "1914"

"Plymouth Rock" still bank

International Service Company, Cleveland, Ohio — Thu, 01 Jun 1916 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Plymouth Rock" still bank
Artist	International Service Company, Cleveland, Ohio
Date	c. 1921
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

metal facsimile of Plymouth Rock with silver metallic base; "1620" in black on the top front; coin slot on back of base with "Plymouth Rock The Cornerstone Of A Nation" above slot; "On This Rock I Will Build My Fortune" below the slot

"Patriotic Eagle" still bank

Artist Unknown (United States) — Fri, 01 Jun 1900 00:00:00 -0500

Title	"Patriotic Eagle" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown (United States)
Date	20th century
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

transparent amber glass; moulded in thick coin shape with ribbed sides; front has eagle with branch and arrows in claws, surrounded by stars

"Betsy Ross Bicentennial Bank" mechanical bank

Al Davidson — Tue, 01 Jun 1976 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"Betsy Ross Bicentennial Bank" mechanical bank
Artist	Al Davidson
Date	1976
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

Betsy Ross holding flag, seated on stool, sewing basket beside her; black cat behind skirt in back; brown base contains coin slot

"Ben Franklin" still bank

Artvertising Corp. — Fri, 01 Jun 1923 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"Ben Franklin" still bank
Artist	Artvertising Corp.
Date	c. 1928
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

bust of figure with "Franklin" at front bottom; copper patina

"Robert E. Lee" still bank

Banthrico, Inc. — Thu, 01 Jun 1950 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"Robert E. Lee" still bank
Artist	Banthrico, Inc.
Date	c. 1955
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

portrait bust with "R. E. Lee" at front bottom; metal label on back: "El Paso National Bank, Texas at Stanton"; copper patina

"John Fitzgerald Kennedy" still bank

Artist Unknown () — Mon, 01 Jun 1964 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"John Fitzgerald Kennedy" still bank
Artist	Artist Unknown ()
Date	1964
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

silver colored coin bearin a portrait of JFK with name and dates raised; picture of the eternal flame from his grave on verso with quote; base broken off and lost

"Strato Bank" mechanical bank

Duro Mold and Manufacturing Inc. — Fri, 01 Jun 1945 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"Strato Bank" mechanical bank
Artist	Duro Mold and Manufacturing Inc.
Date	c. 1950s-1960s
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

silver oval base with 'rocket ship' and 'globe'; spring mechanism on ship fires coin into globe; red pigment on firing mechanism, side of ship and nob in front top fin; stopper in bottom slides; see also L2003.147.753

"Spinaround Plan-It Coin Bank" mechanical bank

Astro Manufacturing, E. Detroit, Michigan — Mon, 01 Jun 1959 00:00:00 -0400

Title	"Spinaround Plan-It Coin Bank" mechanical bank
Artist	Astro Manufacturing, E. Detroit, Michigan
Date	1959
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Location	Not on view.

round, blue, solar system model; sun in center is silver; coin slot is sun; money in bank; 4 legs attached to sun underneath have blue-green plastic tips

Katherine Kierland Herberger Collection of Banks

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Title	Katherine Kierland Herberger Collection of Banks
Creator	Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Date	2006
Institution	Minneapolis Institute of Arts

This silent video shows many mechanical banks from the MIA's Herberger Collection in operation.

Reflection

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:52:05 -0500

Title	Reflection
Author	Bob Peterson

You can bank on it!

"Birth Bank with Clock" still bank

"Birth Bank with Clock" still bank

c. 1840

"Coffin Bank" mechanical bank

"Coffin Bank" mechanical bank

20th century

Optimistic Box No. 4 and 5

Optimistic Box No. 4 and 5

1968

"Radio Bank" still bank

"Radio Bank" still bank

20th century

"T.V. Bank" still bank

"T.V. Bank" still bank

c. 1950s

"Lucky Bank" barrel still bank

"Lucky Bank" barrel still bank

20th century

"Browns Valley State Bank (hat)" still bank

"Browns Valley State Bank (hat)" still bank

20th century

"Apple" still bank

"Apple" still bank

1882

"Noah's Ark" still bank

"Noah's Ark" still bank

c. 1900

"Our Empire, George V & Mary" still bank

"Our Empire, George V & Mary" still bank

1914

"Plymouth Rock" still bank

"Plymouth Rock" still bank

c. 1921

"Patriotic Eagle" still bank

"Patriotic Eagle" still bank

20th century

"Betsy Ross Bicentennial Bank" mechanical bank

"Betsy Ross Bicentennial Bank" mechanical bank

1976

"Ben Franklin" still bank

"Ben Franklin" still bank

c. 1928

"Robert E. Lee" still bank

"Robert E. Lee" still bank

c. 1955

"John Fitzgerald Kennedy" still bank

"John Fitzgerald Kennedy" still bank

1964

"Strato Bank" mechanical bank

"Strato Bank" mechanical bank

c. 1950s-1960s

"Spinaround Plan-It Coin Bank" mechanical bank

"Spinaround Plan-It Coin Bank" mechanical bank

1959

Katherine Kierland Herberger Collection of Banks

Katherine Kierland Herberger Collection of Banks

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2006

Reflection

Reflection