For Christmas I have a very appropriate restoration project for you- a vintage cast iron Santa coin bank, finished just in time for Christmas Eve.

I’m still not sure about what year this particular Santa bank was made, or who the manufacturer was. The first metal coin saving bank seems to have appeared in markets way back in 1886. It was an Uncle Sam bank created by Peter Adams Jr and Charles G. Shepard, and manufactured by Shepard Hardware Company of Buffalo, New York. After that first bank, various other styles of metal banks began to be manufactured. I found a similar Santa savings bank on the internet that was manufactured by Shepard Hardware Company in 1889. This one is vintage, but obviously not that old. There is no production date or manufacturer name stamped on the body of the bank, there is only "Santa Claus" on the metal base. From the appearance, and due to the way it was made, the degree of dilapidation and rust, the approximate production time is most likely around 1900-1930. I have also seen many similar newer products on the market, most of which are replicas and produced in Taiwan, roughly from the 1950's to the 1970's.

During the restoration and disassembly process, a small paper note was found in the bank on which was written $40 and the name/date, Freds, January 91. Apparently, someone bought or sold this bank for $40 back in January 1991.

The biggest challenge in the restoration was painting Santa's body, especially the face. Lots of detail and colors to work with. The eyes were the toughest, and I really didn't do it perfectly. I wish I would have been more careful and precise with those, but I think overall it still turned out petty good.

I was really happy that my 8-year-old daughter Emily and 10-year-old son Eric were involved in the restoration process this time. They really like to draw and paint, and are pretty good at it, so they were really excited to help with getting Santa all dressed up and ready for Christmas!! What kid wouldn't be!

Thanks so much for watching and feel free to tell me what you think in the comments below.

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you each and every one! See you again soon!


#restoration#Santa#Christmas

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