Once worth pennies, mechanical bank fetches thousands at auction

AMECHANICAL bank like this “Two Frogs” bank used to put on a show for as little as a penny. Place the coin on the flat spot on the small frog’s chest, press the lever on the back of the bank, and the large frog opens its mouth to catch the coin as the small frog kicks it in.

In the 19th century, mechanical banks taught children that saving money could be fun. Now, collectors save up their money to buy them: This bank was the top seller at a Morphy auction, bringing in $12,800. Cast-iron mechanical banks from the late 19th to early 20th century have been popular collectibles since the 1950s, and they keep selling for high prices. Collectors look for examples in excellent condition with functional mechanisms and the original paint intact.

Mechanical banks are well-documented, with names (like “Two Frogs”) coming from the advertisements and order forms where they originally appeared. Serious collectors are familiar with these advertisements, which also provide the bank’s maker, date and original price: “Two Frogs” used to sell for 85 or 95 cents!

Q.I have 12, seven-piece place settings of china, with three platters, two serving bowls and a coffee or tea server. It’s marked “Thomas” above the letter “R” in a shield, and “Germany.” It is in excellent condition with no cracks or chips. Can you tell me something about the maker, age and value of this set?

A. Fritz Thomas and a partner founded Porcelain Factory Thomas & Ens in Marktredwitz, Bavaria, Germany, in 1903. After Ens left the company in 1908, Porcelain Factory Thomas became a subsidiary of Rosenthal. The Thomas/R/Germany mark was used from 1953 to 1960. In 1960, porcelain production moved to Speichersdorf, Bavaria. Thomas is still in business as a brand owned by Rosenthal, which is now part of the Arcturus Group. They make “everyday tableware.” Sets of dinnerware are hard to sell. You can find prices for individual pieces of your dinnerware pattern on sites like eBay (look for “Sold” pieces), etsy, or Replacements.com.

Q.I’m hoping you can help me with this question. I inherited this table from my great aunt. I’m interested in selling it, but have no idea who the maker is or if it’s worth anything. She had it ever since I was a child; I’m 57. Can you help? If I need to pay for an appraisal I’m willing to do so, depending on the cost.

A.

To estimate the date of a piece of furniture from family history, take your age and add

Garden Notes

STOCKBRIDGE Upcoming events

Berkshire Botanical Garden presents these upcoming programs:

• Monday, Music Mondays featuring Sol y Canto, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. $10 members, $15 nonmembers;

• Aug. 18, Family Fridays present “Nature Matters,” 11 a.m. This program will explore our relationships and responsibilities with animals, both wild and domestic pet species. Included with admission to the Garden.

To register or for more information, visit berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.

WARE Garden workshop

Ware Grange’s next gardening workshop, “Flower Farmer,” will be held on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Grange Hall, 297 Belchertown Road. The presenter will be Roberta McQuaid, author of the weekly “In the Garden” column for Turley Publications, who will present on flowers that have a long vase-life and simple arrangement principles. A door prize drawing will be held. Visit the Ware Grange Facebook page or waregrange. org for more information.

WEST SPRINGFIELD Garden club

The West Springfield Garden Club will meet on Aug. 17 at 6 p.m. at Storrowton Tavern, 1305 Memorial Ave., on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition. After a short business meeting, MJ Tash will present “Photographing Nature.” She will discuss her experiences as a photographer and share some tips for obtaining good bird shots. The meeting is open to the public. If interested in attending, contact Joan at graceshad@msn. com by Aug. 15.

Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@repub.com two weeks prior to publication.

Lee Reich | In The Garden