Bidspirit auction | Roller Skating Bank

Roller Skating Bank - Made by the Kyser and Rex Company. Frankford, Pennsylvania - Circa 1880's. From the Robert McCumber Collection. The Roller Skating Bank is one of the most impressive mechanical banks ever brought to market. The use of vivid color, coupled with its complex engineering, raise it to a uniquely exalted level in the pantheon of mechanical toy banks. Few other banks are as exciting as the Roller Skating Bank. Further contributing to its obvious visual charm is the sense of nostalgia that is conveyed by the imagery we discover. In the background, we see a boy bent on his knee to lace up the skates of a female companion. They are positioned beneath what we can only imagine is a dimly lit two-armed gas chandelier. In the foreground, we find a boy dressed in red and a girl in a yellow dress. When the bank is operated, they race around the elliptical track to determine who is faster on their skates. To the viewer, they appear to be evenly matched because they reach the referee at the same time. And yet, this same ref always pivots to his right to award the winner's wreath to the female skater. Meanwhile, the penny, which had been placed in the canopy above the skate rental booth, has now dropped into the bank. This bank is positively sensational all original condition. Condition: Near Mint Condition.