Now and then the writer checks over past articles for possible errors, omission, or whatever, and recently in so doing discovered that the Home Bank, Type II, had never been classified in article form, so we are taking care of it at this time.

The Home Bank was patented by Doras A. Stiles, of Middletown, Connecticut, July 16, 1872. It was manufactured by the J. & E. Stevens Company of Cromwell, Connecticut. It is a quite sturdy bank with strong mechanism; it is not, however, an easy item to find in the fine paint condition as the one pictured.

Figure 1 shows the Type II bank, and please note the dormer windows. These are not on the Type I bank, and this is the most obvious way to tell the two banks apart.

The bank shown is in extra-fine all-original condition, and Figure 1 shows it in its normal position ready for operation. On pulling the protruding knob forward (the operating lever), the door moves to the left and the bank cashier appears in the doorway, as in Figure 2. The lever locks into position. A coin is placed upright in the provided section in front of the cashier. The knob of the lever is then pushed to the right and the cashier, with coin, revolves inside the bank, replaced by the door, as in Figure 1.

Colors of the bank are as follows; the top roof section is yellow with red and blue lines, the dormer window section is red with yellow windows and blue lines. The rest of the building is yellow with a red bottom base. The name Home Bank is in red, and other sections of the building are in red and blue. The door is light blue with dark blue decoration. The cashier is dressed in tan and brown with a white shirt. He has flesh-colored face with black eyes, eyebrows, mustache and hair. The coin-holding section in front of him is tan and light tan with blue lines. The name ‘Cashier’ appears on this section.

Home Banks were made with and without the name ‘Cashier’ on the coin section. They also came with the name cast on the part and with the name on a paper label. The cashier figures are in the main cast iron, however, lead or a pewter-like metal was also used to make some of the figures. So there are Home Banks with a proper original cashier’s figure in lead.

The bank pictured is entirely cast iron. There is a coin slot in the back of the building in the event one wants to insert coins without working the bank. No coin trap — the bank must be taken apart for removal of coins.

The Type II is No. 291 in the numerical classification at this point. Information on Type I may be seen in HOBBIES, August 1965.

Please note: the Mickey Mouse, Type II (HOBBIES, January, 1981) is No. 290 in the numerical classification.

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