Horse Race — Type II and New Bank — Type I
by F.H. Griffith - HOBBIES Magazine - October, 1973
Now to the New Bank — Type I, presently No. 228 in the
numerical classification. While the operating principle is the same in each bank with the
policeman moving to the side, there are considerable differences between Type I and Type
II. The principal or outstanding difference is in connection with the operating lever. As
pictured, Figure II, the lever is just underneath the feet of the figure and there is a
wide slot in the base to accommodate the movement of this lever. The Type II, HOBBIES,
September 1966, has the lever located to the side and this required castings unlike those
of Type I. The roof castings are quite dissimilar with the Type I in three parts and Type
II having four parts. This includes the top cup, the dome, and then two parts to the rest
of the roof extensions. Type I has the cup, the dome, and the rest of the roof is a single
casting. There are other casting part differences between the two banks, but those
detailed above are the main ones and easily recognized. Please remember the Type I as
pictured has the operating lever in the center.
It bears mention that the New Bank — Type I is apparently considerably more difficult to obtain than the Type II. The writer was not aware of this until fairly recent times, and this was after some checking around to ascertain if there were many of the Type I in collections. They seem few and far between.
Perhaps a final word is in order with respect to the painting of the Type I. It has more decorative detail with definitions of scrolls, dots, and so on along the sides of the building and over the name on the front.
Once again a little more catching
up to do with respect to two mechanicals that have not as yet been assigned a
classification number, and of more importance, never been detailed in article form. May
the writer take one moment to explain that part of this seeming oversight of certain
mechanicals is partly due to some of the Type banks, and while Type I or II, as the case
may be, has been covered by an article its mate has not. This is the case with the two
banks we presently intend to discuss, Horse Race — Type II and New Bank — Type
I.
Under present circumstances the Type II Horse Race will necessarily be No. 227 in the numerical classification. Its companion bank, Type I, appeared in article form in the March 1959, HOBBIES. While the basic operation and action of each bank is alike, there are considerable other differences between the two. Please note the flanged base of Type II in Figure I. This base, unlike that of Type I, also has a screw lock sliding coin trap for removal of coins. The two arches have a cast edging on the peaks as well as down the sides. These arches are held in place by different casting extensions. In overall height the bank is taller than Type I. The writer has never seen a Type I with the striping around the circular edge and there are other paint differences. There are also other casting differences such as the size of the round indentation in the peak of each arch, and all in all the two banks are quite dissimilar. Each carries the same patent date of August 15, 1871.
