This antique Cast Iron Still Bank is referred to as the “Columbia Bank” and was made by the Kenton Hardware Mfg. Co. – Kenton, Ohio, U.S.A. This bank was made for the World’s Fair Columbian Exposition in Chicago representing the fair’s Administration Building in 1893. This bank measures 7 1/4″ Height and the base is 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. This size is the next size down from the large Columbia bank. Good original condition. The casting and detail on this building is very desirable. There is a note that comes with this bank sharing the provenance history of this particular bank. It reads, ‘This bank was given to my mother (Lela Hunt Berisford) when she was a little girl by her uncle (Wylie Hunt) who was an engineer for the B&O Railroad. At the time my mother lived with her family on a farm at Glen Easton, West Virginia which is the southern part of Marshall County. My mother was born in 1908. She gave the bank to me after I got married in 1956 and I’ve owned it ever since. I had three older sisters and one younger brother, and we all used the bank when we were kids. I moved from Wheeling, West Virginia in 1979 and have lived in Florida ever since. This was signed by Ron Berisford of Eustis, Florida and someone wrote the year 1999. What fun history to have that goes along with this antique bank!
