Uncle Sam Cash Register Bank
By Bruce Shawkey One of my favorite toys growing up was my Uncle Sam cash register bank. It took nickels, dimes, and quarters. When it reaches $10, you could empty the coins from out the panel on the bottom, which I thought was a good chunk of change at the time. The first Uncle Sam banks appeared in 1907, a product of the Durable Toy & Novelty Company, which had offices in Cleveland, Ohio and Hackensack, New Jersey. True to the company's name, the banks were made of heavy gauge steel with enamel paint, making them quite rugged and kid-proof. Mine was painted fire-engine red, but they came in many colors. The first models were single-coin only. For example, the Penny Register Bank opened after a $1 worth of pennies was deposited, while the Dime Register Bank opened after $10 worth of dimes was saved. In 1923, Durable introduced the three-coin model – first in black and then in four other colors.