The banks are being listed with. And a reasonable starting price. The owner of the banks has decided to part with much of his collection and he continues that tonight. This is the “CAT AND MOUSE” Mechanical Bank and was designed and patented by James Bowen on April 21, 1891. It was manufactured by the J. Stevens Co, Cromwell, Ct. This is a seldom seen bank, especially in the excellent plus condition of the one being offered here tonight. This is truly a beautiful example of the “Cat and Mouse” bank. There are no cracks, breaks or other damage and the paint is still. This is, no doubt, the. With its extremely colorful appearance, imposing size and intriguing subject matter it is understandable why the” Cat and Mouse” Bank is highly sought after by bank collectors. The game of cat and mouse has, undoubtedly, amused and fascinated children of all ages. The oppositional relationship of these two animals is, perhaps, best remembered by the animated cartoons which featured that funny duo, Tom and Jerry. Children squealed with anticipation as Tom, the buffoon, chased the quick witted Jerry. The “Cat and Mouse” bank may very well be considered the Tom and Jerry of the nineteenth century. This is a rather large and impressive appearing bank that actually looks more like a clock than a savings device. While no clock face is evident the general appearance and configuration leaves the impression that it is a clock. In any event, the bank is very well made, unique in both appearance and action. The action of the “Cat And Mouse” bank can be described as amusing and surprising. It is aptly explained in an 1891 Marshall Field and Company catalogue advertisement:’Place a coin in front of the mouse over the cat, press the lever, and the coin disappears into the bank. The fancy kitten appears holding the mouse and ball. Handsomely ornamented in fancy colors. In order to activate the bank, the figure of the” balancing cat ” must be pulled downward and snapped into place inside the back of the bank. This will reveal the figure of a mouse couching upon a small platform The coin is placed in front of this mouse prior to activating the bank. The bank is in proper working order and has a round coin trap on the bottom of the bank. The bank is approximately 6″ long, 5″ wide and 11 1/2 tall. The item “Cast Iron CAT AND MOUSE Mechanical Bank Original Antique Amrericana Toy” is in sale since Tuesday, August 16, 2016. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Banks, Registers & Vending\Mechanical Banks”. The seller is “thingsnsuch100″ and is located in Brookfield, Ohio. This item can be shipped to United States, to Canada, to United Kingdom, DK, RO, SK, BG, CZ, FI, HU, LV, LT, MT, EE, to Australia, GR, PT, CY, SI, to Japan, to China, SE, KR, ID, TH, to Belgium, to France, to Hong Kong, to Ireland, to Netherlands, PL, to Spain, to Italy, to Germany, to Austria, IL, to Mexico, to New Zealand, SG, to Switzerland, NO, SA, UA, AE, QA, KW, BH, HR, MY, CO, PA, JM, BB, BD, BM, BN, BO, EC, EG, GF, GG, GI, GP, IS, JE, JO, KH, KY, LI, LK, LU, MC, MO, MQ, MV, NI, OM, PE, PK, PY, RE.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Original/Reproduction: Original