The Humpty Dumpty Bank
(PART II)
by Sy Schreckinger – ANTIQUE TOY WORLD Magazine – September, 1984

     Additional information which has come to my attention has prompted this addendum to my article (refer to July 1984 issue of Antique Toy World), "The Humpty Dumpty Bank." In it, I discussed how both Charles G. Shepard and Peter Adams, Jr., of Buffalo, New York, were granted Patent number 255,090 for their invention of the "Jolly Nigger" bank, and how they utilized that patent to also protect the inner mechanism of their "Humpty Dumpty" mechanical bank.
     Because those original patent drawings showed only the design of the "Jolly Nigger" bank, both Shepard and Adams applied further for an additional design patent in order to protect the configuration and subject matter of their" Humpty Dumpty" bank. They were subsequently granted Patent number 15,085 on June 17, 1884. This is the design patent (Figure 1) show in this article.
     The final production bank (Figure 2) was manufactured by the Shepard Hardware Co., of Buffalo, New York, and follows the drawing quite faithfully.

The Elephant and 3 Clowns Bank
(PART II)
by Sy Schreckinger – ANTIQUE TOY WORLD Magazine – September, 1984

     In the May 1983 issue of Antique Toy World, the Elephant and Three Clowns Bank article discussed how James H. Bowen, of Philadelphia, was granted Patent 262,361 for his invention of the "Two Frogs" mechanical bank. Bowen utilized that patent to also protect the inner mechanism of his invention of the "Elephant and Three Clowns" mechanical bank. Because those original patent drawings illustrated only the design of the "Two Frogs" bank, James Bowen applied further for an additional patent in order to protect the design and subject matter of his "Elephant and Three Clowns" bank. He was granted Patent number 14,238 on August 28, 1883. This is the design patent (Figure 1) shown in this article.
     The final production bank (Figure 2) was manufactured by the J. and E. Stevens Foundry of Cromwell, Connecticut, and follows the drawing and description quite faithfully.