The James Gillespie Estate Soldiers & Cast Iron Toys Auction
A nice quartet of highly collectible cast iron animal penny banks is offered together, including an 1880s early Kyser & Rex Rooster mechanical bank, an A.C. Williams No. 6248 Owl Toy Bank, an A.C. Williams No. 4748 Rooster Bank, and a scarce A.C. Williams "Owl on Book" desk piece. The Kyser & Rex Rooster has a coin slot at the apex of the tail and retains part of its factory gold wash base, along with traces of painted highlights, including red on the comb and wattle and green and yellow detailing on the grass base. The internal mechanism remains present, but it has broken away from the thumb lever on the tail that would have activated the crowing action. The A.C. Williams No. 6248 Owl Toy Bank remains original. The No. 4748 Rooster Bank is finished in black, with most of the red paint missing from the comb. The A.C. Williams "Owl on Book" desk piece features a small owl permanently perched on a stack of books with an integrated rectangular tray attached to the side of the base, designed to hold a matchbook on early 1900s office desks. The Kyser & Rex Rooster measures approximately 5.25" W x 6.5" H; the No. 6248 Owl Toy Bank measures approximately 2.5" W x 5" H; the No. 4748 Rooster Bank measures approximately 3.5" L x 5" H; and the "Owl on Book" desk piece measures approximately 4.25" L x 5" H. The overall condition ranges from fair to good.
Condition: MIXED G/F
Share this lot:
