Thursday, December 17, 2009

Moon Bank

Journaling:

Saw a sketch today that brought back a memory of a childhood toy, a moon bank. The coin was loaded on the little rocket ship and when the firing button was pushed the coin would shoot up into the moon.

The bank was made of metal and the moon was about the size of a softball. You could kill somebody if you whacked them on the head with this thing. Probably why they aren't produced anymore.

I lost the plug that held in the coins and the spring finally broke so mine got trashed in just a year or two. I almost wish I still had this. It was too cool. But I would only want to fondle it for an afternoon, then it would be off to Goodwill.


After I had drawn this I thought, "Duh, I should have looked for a photo first!"

MOON ROCKET MECHANICAL BANK.
MODEL 1000 DESTINATION-MOON BANK
DURO MOLD AND MFG INC. DETROIT. 1962.
1st U.S. direct April 26, 1962.

Silver toned coin bank, given away by banks and savings and loans as a gift for opening an account. "Save for your future". With bluetone satellite ring reading "Commemorating Lt. Col John H. Glenn, Jr.'s triumphant triple orbit of the earth February 20, 1962". On other side, "Shepard + Grissom + Glenn + Carpenter + Schirra + Cooper" The satellite ring is fragile and seldom found intact.



I don't think I did to bad with the sketch considering it was a forty-year-old memory. Left out the big rocket ship entirely, but oh well. Got the shape of the little coin shooter right, and the shape and location of the firing button.

I don't remember mine ever having a satellite ring, but I do remember the bumps the ring should have rested on. I always wondered what those were for.

2 comments:

suzanne cabrera said...

Impressive!!!! Terrific memory you have there...

Speck said...

Thanks! I think I was fascinated with the engineering of the thing and that's why I remember it. I was one of those kids who would have taken apart the telephone, clocks and radios to see how they worked, if Momma hadn't kept a watchful eye on me.