Thursday, March 3, 2011

Piggy Banks and Money Boxes: Homes for the Spare Change

green owl money box

If you're going to accumulate a bunch of coins, why not do it in style? My latest find is this wonderful money box sold by Hus & Hem; it comes in yellow, green and red. [via Retro to Go] Update on July 9, 2012: These are no longer being sold by Hus & Hem, and I haven't found them elsewhere.


piggy bank, ceramic, white with blue

If you'd prefer a pig, you could get this piggy bank from Jonathan Adler, available in pink and blue. Update on Oct. 17, 2014: I'm no longer finding this bank.


glass piggy bank

If you like to see your coins accumulate, you might like the glass piggy bank from Roost, available from Velocity Art and Design - and the one at VivaTerra, shown above, seems to be the same product. Update on July 8, 2012: I'm no longer finding this bank at either of those stores, but you get either this large bank or a smaller one from Fawbush & Schulz.


piggy bank - pig with wings and wheels

I was amazed to find this piggy bank from Nelles: "sand-cast bronze and aluminum coin bank, in the form of a flying pig with wheels." Take a look at Scott's Titanic bank and King Kong bank, too.


piggy bank -for the holidays

Richard Barley shared a picture of this cochon tirelire some time ago, and I finally decided to go find it on the web - because a piggy bank focused on saving for vacation sounds good to me!


piggy bank

And finally, here's the moneypig from Smool and Royal Goedewaagen. There are two version: the one above (the Pig Pocket), and one with a floral design. And yes, the nose is detachable for retrieving the money. [via MoCoLoco]

Related Posts:
Conquering the Coin Clutter
A Piggy Bank Menagerie
Piggy Banks: Beyond the Menagerie
Helping You Save: Coin Banks and Money Boxes
What a Pig! Piggy Banks and Money Boxes Worth a Look
Piggy Banks That Aren't Pigs: A Glyptodon, A Goat, and More
June 2010 Organizing Tips and More: Product of the Month
6 Splendid Banks: Piggies and More
Beyond the Piggy Bank: Tzedkah Boxes

3 comments:

Claire Josefine said...

I like the flying pig on wheels!

I'm curious: what's the origin of the connection between pigs and saving coins? Why pigs and not some other animal or figure?

Personally, I use a pit-fired and burnished red clay pot that my mother gave me years ago to toss all change into. I call it my Pot of Gold. Of course, it makes taking change OUT easier, which may defeat the purpose... :-) But then, when I'm feeling broke, it's nice to be able to rummage around in the Pot of Gold and dig out enough quarters to treat myself to a decaf mocha!

Jeri Dansky said...

Claire, Wikipedia provides two theories:

In Middle English, "pygg" referred to a type of clay used for making various household objects such as jars. People often saved money in kitchen pots and jars made of pygg, called "pygg jars". By the 18th century, the spelling of "pygg" had changed and the term "pygg jar" had evolved to "pig bank." Once the meaning had transferred from the substance to the shape, piggy banks began to be made from other substances, including glass, plaster, and plastic.

An alternative theory, and the one usually given for the origin in German sources, is that in Germany and surrounding countries the pig is a symbol of good luck or good fortune, hence keeping money in a piggy bank will bring good fortune.

Cynthia Friedlob said...

These are all adorable and now, having read the comments, I've learned something, too! Thanks, Jeri, and thanks for asking the question, Claire!