This original antique cast iron "Skyscraper" (or Cupola Building) still penny bank was manufactured by the A.C. Williams Company of Ravenna, Ohio, circa 1900–1920s. The bank features intricate architectural grid lattice detailing, an arched entry door, side decorative cutout windows, a coin slot along the top roofline, and an embossed "BANK" header beneath a ribbed cupola/finial roof dome.

The bank retains its original factory gold-painted wash finish with natural age-darkened oxidation, mellowed patina, and honest high-point finish wear. It consists of two vertical halves held together by the original flat-head, coarse-threaded steel screw, which exhibits authentic fibrous/fuzzy rust accumulation across the threads.

• Dimensions: Approx. 3.75 in H x 2.0 in W x 1.75 in D

• Weight: 9.3 oz

• Manufacturer: A.C. Williams Company (Ravenna, Ohio)

• Period: Early 20th Century (Circa 1900–1920s)

Material: Cast Iron with Original Gold Paint Finish & Steel Hardware

Origin: Made in the United States (Ravenna, Ohio)

Age: Circa 1900–1920s (Victorian / Early American Industrial Era)

Condition: Overall Very Good Antique Condition. Complete and structurally intact with no cracks, chips, breaks, or repairs to the cast iron. Retains a significant portion of its original factory gold paint, displaying characteristic age tarnishing, atmospheric surface dirt, and honest high-point finish loss consistent with age and handling. The central securing screw is completely original with correct coarse threads and natural oxidation.

Authenticity Assessment

This bank exhibits all primary characteristics of an authentic early 20th-century A.C. Williams casting:

• Casting Quality & Interior Finish: The internal cast iron surfaces show fine-grain sand casting texture without the rough, pebbly modern reproduction grain. Interior surfaces show natural gold paint over-spray/run-off at the seam edges, exactly as produced in factory dip processes.

• Seam Alignment & Fits: The two cast halves interlock along the side seams with period-correct puzzle/zig-zag indexing teeth that fit tight and flush without broad modern grind gaps.

• Hardware & Fasteners: The securing screw is an original slotted machine screw with hand-cut countersink characteristics and correct thread pitch, displaying decades of untouched surface oxidation.

• Lettering & Mold Detail: Crisp, raised embossing on the "BANK" roof banner and archway details without the rounded, blurred edges associated with modern recasts taken from existing original banks.

Reference

• Book Title: The Penny Bank Book: Collecting Still Banks

• Authors: Andy Moore & Susan Moore

• Page / Entry Reference: Page 120, Item #1239 (A.C. Williams Skyscraper Series)

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