-Fortune Teller Savings Bank - mechanical bank c. 1901

The “Fortune Teller Savings Bank” is a cast iron mechanical bank, likely made for children, produced around 1901 by the Aaron Kaufman Company. It features a small vault-like structure with a hinged door and a slot at the top to insert coins. The bank was designed to encourage children to save money, and the mechanical aspect of the bank likely made it a popular toy. It is currently housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and is a great example of early 20th-century American toy design.