This is an exceptionally rare, late 19th-century antique brass cylinder coin safe known as the "Castelow Trolley Bank." Manufactured in Meriden, Connecticut—famed as the "Silver City" for its historic metalworking industries—this compact piece was designed as a portable or conductors' streetcar / trolley coin repository.

The top face features highly detailed, stippled background texturing with crisp raised lettering that reads: "CASTELOW TROLLEY BANK PAT APL'D FOR MERIDEN, CT.". The body consists of a heavy, solid brass seamless cylinder barrel with an intricate interlocking bottom base plate mechanism that relies on tension tabs to remain secure. Measuring just under 3 inches tall, this is a premier example of industrial New England exonumia and an elusive crossover piece for collectors of still banks, transportation memorabilia, and Connecticut metal craftsmanship.

Technical Specifications

• Object Type: Cylinder Coin Bank / Safe

• Manufacturer/Origin: Elijah Dunham Castelow (E.D. Castelow), Meriden, Connecticut

• Circa/Age: Early 1880s to mid-1880s (c. 1885)

• Material: Solid Brass

• Dimensions: Approximately 2.95 inches x 3 inches Tall; Cylinder diameter approx. 0.95 inches

Condition Report

• Overall Status: Excellent, untouched antique condition.

• Surface/Patina: Features a beautiful, dark, authentic naturally aged mustard brass patina with minor verdigris hints in the recessed lettering. The original dry historic surface is perfectly intact and remains unpolished.

• Structural Integrity: The metal is sound with no cracks, deep splits, or major dents noted. The locking bottom tabs show original structural configuration with expected historic light wear around the rim seam.

Reference

For historical manufacturing context regarding E.D. Castelow's active industrial output and design submissions in Meriden during this exact era, please refer to:

• Book Title: 150 Years of Meriden: Published in Connection with the Observance of the City's Sesquicentennial

• Author: Meriden Sesquicentennial Committee

• Page Reference: Mentioned under historical manufacturing indices spanning pages 144–146.

Authenticity Assessment

An examination of the bank confirms all classic hallmarks of late 19th-century brass casting and machining. The text font uses characteristic Victorian block serifs with uniform, non-laser tracking. The texture of the top face exhibits a genuine hand-stamped or cast background texture rather than modern chemically etched patterns. Crucially, the base mechanics display irregular hand-finished tool marks and folder tabs showing standard crystallization consistent with 140-year-old yellow brass, confirming its genuine period production.

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Item Description and Condition Disclaimer

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