Scarce Hen and Chick Mechanical Bank

Circa 1901: Designed by Charles A. Bailey for the J. & E. Stevens Company in Cromwell, Connecticut, the hard to find Hen and Chick mechanical bank is one of the firm's most endearing creations, featuring a protective mother hen and her precious yellow nestling, who pops out from under his mother's feathers to push the coin into the bank for safekeeping. Early mechanical banks were made to teach children the pleasure of saving money for a rainy day, and the underlying subtext of this bank is that of the powerful and loving bond between mother and child. This example retains approximately 90% of its original paint, has great action, functions well, and is in excellent original condition but for a typical replaced coin trap made from the original mold.