Large Pottery Still Penny Bank Two tone Pig or Piggy Marked 120
Description: This is a vintage large glazed pottery penny bank in the form of a pig standing on all four legs. This bank is colored in a brown and yellow with green highlights on the top half of the animal and just in yellow on the bottom half. The pig has four short legs that are not glazed. The piggy bank shows the pig's ears, the eyes as holes and snout. The eyes are round holes that are open to the inside cavity. The bank has the coin slot on the pig's back on top. This bank is a vintage reproduction of the original bank which was made in 1880s. See Page 92, bank number 633 in Andy and Susan Moore's book "The Penny Bank Book, Collecting Still Banks" published Schiffer Publishing Ltd. of Exton, PA in 1984 for a similar example. The bank is marked under the glaze on its underside with what looks like the number 120 or 170 and the number 3 or letter E incised under the glaze (see the last photo for details). Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Early to mid-20th century.
Origin: Purchased at an estate auction in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Size: The bank is ~6 5/8" long, ~3 3/4" wide and is ~4 1/8" at its highest. The piece weighs ~13.5 ounces.
Maker: Unknown.
Marks: Marked 120 or 170 and has the hand written 3 or E under glaze on the pig's underside.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: This is a very nice vintage pottery bank that is in very good condition despite the fact that it has been around for almost 100 years. Definitely would make a great addition to any collection of still penny banks.
Condition: The bank is in good condition with no cracks, no repairs, or hairlines. The bank has general crazing to the glaze. The piece has a small firing crack in the front left leg (see 2nd photo) and a glaze defect spot (a slub), which can be seen in the third photo near the pig's back. Both are original to the making and do not distract from the pig's quality or look. It also has a few of the defects you would expect in an old piece of pottery such as pops, areas where the glaze did not fully flow (see on the side of one of the legs as shown in the next to last photo), slubs, and uneven areas. This piece has very few of those but they are there. Be that as it may, the piece is still in good condition and looks great. Please see photos for additional condition information.
