This is an authentic, highly collectible World War II-era British pocket coin register bank, measuring just under 2 inches tall. Features an embossed brass top cap with the "BRITISH EMPIRE" insignia surrounding a central map graphic. The cylindrical body is constructed from zinc/tin-plated metal and bears the stamped patriotic wartime slogan: "LEND TO DEFEND 30 6D BANK". This indicates the piece was designed specifically to accumulate and register a total of thirty pre-decimal silver sixpence (6d) coins toward the war effort.

The reverse side acts as a mechanical register or tier-counter, with open slots cut next to stamped numbers tracking vertical increments from 5 to 35 to count the accumulated coins. Designed to encourage civilian thrift and contributions toward national war bonds during the 1940s Blitz, this miniature pocket bank represents a fascinating piece of social and military home-front history.

Item Specifics

• Type: Pocket Coin Register / Thrift Bank

• Age: Circa 1940 (World War II Era)

• Origin: United Kingdom / British Empire Home Front

• Material: Tin-plated sheet metal / Zinc body with a stamped brass cap

• Dimensions: Stature stands slightly under 2" tall (approx. 1.9 inches / 4.8 cm)

• Coin Denomination: Accepts British pre-decimal Sixpence (6d) silver coins up to a capacity of 30-35 coins

Condition Report

• Overall Condition: Very Good vintage condition, showing an honest, historically intact age-appropriate patina.

• Surface/Finish: Retains its dry original surfaces. The brass cap has a deep unpolished ochre coloration with minor green verdigris spots in the crevices of the "BRITISH EMPIRE" lettering. The tin/zinc body displays a beautiful frosted oxidation consistent with genuine age.

• Structural Integrity: Seams are secure, the mechanical stacking mechanism/slots are fully intact, and there are no severe deep dents, puncture holes, or restorative welds noticed.

• Seam Construction: A distinct, tight vertical lap-joint fold running down the rear register slot, standard for early 20th-century stamped tin litho and small canister goods.

• Stamping Depth: Crisp, slightly uneven font stampings typical of mechanical mass production under wartime metal shortages.

• Patina & Metal Fatigue: Genuine micro-pitting, unpolished surface oxidation, and age-darkened zinc finish that cannot be easily replicated by modern chemical aging processes.

• Book Title: Penny Banks: Mechanical and Still

• Author: Carole Rogers

• Page Reference: Page 142 (Note: Similar miniature British register and thrift canisters of the interwar and WWII eras are cross-referenced within regional chapters dedicated to tinplate sheet metal novelty savings banks).

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Item Description and Condition Disclaimer

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