large piggy banks

History of the Piggy Bank
By Carrie Williams

Whether or not it was actually pig shaped, most of us have dropped coins in a piggy bank at one time in our lives. In fact, many of us remember the different types of piggy banks we used to own be it mechanical or ceramic. It's funny how this simple savings tool makes the tedious task of budgeting far more interesting for children.

The piggy bank provides children with the satisfying clink of coins each time they make a deposit, and it only takes a quick shake to be reassured it's all still there. Children can also check their accumulated wealth by simply hefting the increasingly weighty porker (or mouse, or kitty as the case may be).

Of course there is a dark side to the piggy bank, at least the traditional kind. In order for children to cash in their investment, the bank, well, has to be shattered to bits. For many children, this represented a slightly traumatic event since they had grown fond of Mr. Piggers as he has guarded their hard won wealth faithfully. It seems a cruel payback to retire him in such an unseemly manner.

Modern toy makers have largely eliminated the dark side of this lesson by including a stopper to easily free coins. Thus turning modern piggy banks into long term learning companions. This may be one of the piggy bank's most recent changes, but it is certainly not the first. In fact, the original piggy bank bore no resemblance to the animal at all.

In medieval times, an inexpensive form of orange clay know as "pygg" was widely used in the production of household pottery - including the "pygg pot". Many early pygg pots had the familiar coin slot, and served the modern purpose, but they lacked any specific shape.

At some point, both the material and the word faded from common use, but the concept - and the name endured. Over time, "pygg" became "pig". At which point it didn't take long for someone to decide to cast a token collector in the image of its namesake.

Of course, the modern banks are much more likely to be made of plastic than ceramic of any type. If you happen across a piggy bank made out of actual pygg, it is likely to be worth far more than all the coins you could stuff into it. Even more recent banks can bring home the bacon. Piggy banks from the early 1900's have been valued at over $300 in auction.

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