The deposit performs a trickSourced
Mechanical banks animate the act of saving
Mechanical banks developed in the mid-nineteenth century. Putting in a coin or operating a lever can set figures in motion. They aimed to encourage children to save by making the deposit itself an entertaining event.
The balance stays hidden, but the act of adding money moves.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Mechanical bank · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05