Large Money Box
People have always come up with creative ways to store excess cash and coins in their homes. In East Texas, they stuffed cash in their mattresses and used big repurposed coffee cans for storing loose change. During a recent estate sale a coffee can dated from the early 1960s was found underneath a kitchen sink, and was filled with silver and half dollars. Literally thousands of dollars that were forgotten about in a makeshift piggy bank. In Europe, Japan and other countries around the world have used what is called a large money box. These ornate boxes have a long history of not only a place to save money, but have evolved into almost a decorative accent pieces to blend in with one’s interior design theme.
Money boxes come in a variety of materials, but the most popular are made of hardwoods, and usually have some sort of dark stain, and a lacquer finish to protect the surface. Over the years the makers of these boxes have come up with intriguing ways to thwart would thieves that live in the house. By coming up with secret levers and pulls hidden in plain view, these boxes are secure enough to keep people honest and on the up and up.
The Japanese culture has put it’s own spin on money boxes, and come up with some very unique forms, that of course have had some small electronics added to them for various entertainment purposes. They even have a ceramic version called, “The Hammer Money Box”, it has the appearance of a judge’s gavel with a opening for coins to be inserted in the head of hammer. An newly introduced product called “Face Bank”, is a box with a human like face on the front. You literally feed the coins into the mouth of the bank and it chews the coins up and swallows them. The toy maker Tomy also has various money box toys, like the coin bomb, and the robot bank that not only help your youngster save money, but entertains them at the same time.
Today, the large money box is marketed in literally hundreds of shapes, and seems to only grow daily. The shapes vary from looking like telephones, shoes, plastic neon colored cubes, natural wood with three dimensional animals applied to the exterior, and various other high tech innovations that keeps reinventing what was once just a simple way to save cash and coins for a rainy day.