Hello Everyone, Welcome to my 37,000th like Celebration thread! Thanks to @tmeyer for that like a few hours ago! Today I want to show a neat coin related item which I acquired from @lordmarcovan from one of his latest contests. This CALEMETER is an item I wanted when I first saw one at my usual flea market where I get a lot of neat coins and paper currency. That day I made the mistake of telling the seller to hold it so I could return with some extra cash the next day. I went back and he had sold it Then I saw that it was up for a prize in the monthly contest done by our moderator lordmarcovan. I expressed interest in it right away! I was able to get it when the original winner failed to claim it so I was the runner-up! It was meant to be! Here is the excellent description of the Calemeter originally created by Lord.. I hope he doesn't mind that I copied from his contest A vintage CALEMETER COIN BANK, circa 1930s- 40s, and six silver dimes. Now, the Calemeter bank. This was a pretty cool item once (and maybe still). I gather that whenever you put a quarter in the top, the date wheel would click and advance the date forward, so that you knew you had done your part in saving for the day. Yep, a quarter a day made you a thrifty saver! That should give some idea of the age of this bank. I place it circa 1930s to 1940s, but likely not long after 1945 since there is an embossed image of a Mercury dime on the front cover. The bank has some condition issues. There are some traces of old cardboard stuck to and peeled away from the front cover, as well as some other general wear and tear. The key is gone but the bank is unlocked. In fact, I don't even think there is still a lock mechanism inside. (?) Though the bottom door stays closed by itself, it can be opened with a fingernail. I tried some of the dimes in one of the slots and there was a clicking sound, but the date wheel did not advance. This might be a good project for a tinkerer. Front cover: CALEMETER COIN BANK (embossed image of Mercury dime) / A COIN A DAY KEEPS IT UP-TO-DATE (day/date mechanism window) / © & PAT BY ZELL PRODS. CO. N.Y. Top: A QUARTER A DAY (quarter-width slot) KEEPS IT UP TO DATE Right "page end" side: FOR VARIOUS (half-dollar width slot) COINS, (small round hole) PAPER MONEY Bottom: PATENTED & PATS. PEND (keyhole) TO OPEN Spine of "book": THE INSURANCE / CO. ASSUMES NO / RESPONSIBILITY / FOR THE CONTENTS / OR DISPOSITION / OF THIS BANK Back cover: TO SET, TURN (small hole to reset the date wheel somehow)
Congratulations on the Likes and getting that cool item in the contest. Lucky you, as I too would love to have that piece of history.
I'm glad that ended up going to the right person. Like you said, it was meant to be. Dunno how I missed this thread, considering you even tagged me and all.
Hey, you can even see the date on the host coin of that elongated cent in Paddyman's last picture. Right there next to the beginning of my email address, it says 195[-]. If I remember correctly, my 2019 elongated cents were all rolled out on 1952 Lincolns.
Thanks for linking me up to this old thread again. I had forgotten about it. BTW, this is not the first bank you saw in NYC. I got it from a family friend here in GA (though she is Canadian and it had a bunch of Canadian coins in it when I acquired it- some of which I included.) You know that, but I just thought I’d mention it since your OP kinds of makes it sound like I was the one who bought the first one you were looking at. I never did hear back from the guy who won this in my contest. So I figured it was meant to be that you got it.
