Antique Cast Iron Mechanical Bank – Stump Speaker

This is an antique “Stump Speaker” cast iron mechanical coin bank produced by the Shepard Hardware Company in Buffalo, New, designed by Charles Shepard and Peter Adams Jr. around 1886. When a coin is placed in the figure’s hand and the lever on the base is pressed, the figure’s arm lowers to drop the coin into a “carpetbag” on the stand, while his lower jaw moves as if he is speaking.  The bank features a figure with an oversized head and small body standing on a base labeled “Stump Speaker”. This mechanical bank lampoons post Civil War carpetbaggers. These banks are popular among collectors of antique toys and historical Americana.