Mechanical Money Box

“TRANSVAAL MONEY BOX” – BRITISH SATIRICAL PRESS, CIRCA 1900. A striking example of British political satire around 1900, this “Transvaal Money Box” illustrates the intersection of London satirical press and a popular mechanical object during the Boer Wars. Published with the permission of the Westminster Gazette, it transcends the simple toy to become a fragment of visual history from English print culture. The caricatured figure, wearing a top hat inscribed “TRANSVAAL MONEY BOX,” comes to life when a coin is inserted: the internal mechanism sets the pipe in motion, creating a narrative scene characteristic of late 19th-century British mechanical coin-casting machines. The deliberately irregular modeling of the face, the softness of the reliefs, and the early polychromy give the piece an expressive presence reminiscent of press iconography. On the reverse, molded markings: "BY PERMISSION OF THE PROPRIETORS OF THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE" and "MADE IN ENGLAND." Cast in two parts with original screw; functional mechanism; early polychromy showing natural wear consistent with age. Material analysis and period criteria: A careful examination of the piece reveals several characteristics consistent with British production around 1900, typical of mechanical castings from English satirical culture: • Caricatured modeling of the face: deliberately irregular features, heavy eyelids, and slight asymmetry of the gaze, characteristics of hand-carved molds inspired by press iconography. The beard has a relief softened by use, without mechanical repetition of the striations. • Quality of the molding and relief: the secondary details — waistcoat buttons, lips and internal areas of the hat — show a slightly softened relief, consistent with an old casting rather than a modern casting with overly sharp edges. • Old polychromy: natural wear on the raised parts, micro-pitting and pigment accumulation in the recesses, testifying to gradual aging and not a uniform artificial patina. • Original molded markings: “BY PERMISSION OF THE PROPRIETORS OF THE WESTMINSTER GAZETTE” and “MADE IN ENGLAND”, indicating authorized production linked to the London press. • Construction and mechanism: cast in two parts with an old screw; Internal mechanism still functional, animating the pipe when a coin is inserted; the slightly irregular movement is typical of late 19th-century mechanical systems. United Kingdom, circa 1900. Polychrome cast iron, mechanical. Dimensions: H. 15.5 cm; L. 11 cm; W. 9.5 cm