can you tell me what this is?

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Posted By: Paul Grubor

Hi, My neighbor wants me to run this on Ebay but not sure what this is. It is about 9 1/2 inches long and about 6 inches high. It weighs a little over 3 lbs. Some of the parts are the players are moveable. It looks to be a bank of some sort? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Paul

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Posted By: Mark T

Mechanical bank for a kid. You would place the coin in the pitchers hand (see how the thumb allows you to insert coin) and pull it back. I never seen this type but i believe these were popular back in the 50's but i could be wrong.

I had one of Uncle Sam.

Its worth something to someone...goodluck

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Posted By: Ol' Prof

Mark:

Try this link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5344/is_200407/ai_n21352505

It's a little old, but should get you started. The Antiques Road Show has had several banks like yours in the past few months, and it seems to me that all of the appraisals depended heavily on condition, maybe even more than rarety. Sort of like cards.
OP

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

Looks like a "Book of Knowledge" cast iron replica bank from the 1960s made by the John Wright Foundry in Wrightsville PA.

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Posted By: Kyle

A few on eBay already:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-BASEBALL-pitcher-mechanical-cast-iron-coin-bank_W0QQitemZ140272386029

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cast-Iron-Baseball-Bank-Mechanical-Vintage-Antique_W0QQitemZ260295689102

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Posted By: Jerry

That is a cheap modern foreign made Bank , it looks new and to crude to be an original. I've never seen a vintage version of that bank and all Book of Knowledge banks were patterned after originals and pretty well made. Antique stores are full of cheap Cast iron foreign made modern toys. Orignals mechanical are from the TOC and have a patina and are so well made that they are unmistakable. That bank is not even close, sorry to say.

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Posted By: Rob L

This is a more modern mechanical bank that is based on the "Darktown" bank. The Darktown bank is rare and very desireable. There is one on eBay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dark-Town-Battery-Mech-Bank-3-Way-Action-Stevens-1888_W0QQitemZ110258160524QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p 3286.m20.l1116

Rob L

http://www.freewebs.com/loefflerrd/

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Here is a photo of one of the more well known 19th century banks. Heritage sold one in November of 2007 for $13,145.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I've seen the Darktown bank at a local antique show on numerous occasions...the seller is asking $2,500 for it, but aside from not having that kind of money to throw on a bank I'm not sure I know enough about them to tell a fake from an original.

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

After looking a little closer, I agree with Jerry's assessment. The Book of Knowledge banks were a fairly high quality casting, this one looks a a little chincier and is probably of foreign origin.