However, this statement has not been validated. There are but a scant few that were finished with beautiful multi-colored surface (Source: The Penny Bank Book by Andy & Susan Moore).ĭuring my research, I also came across what is said to be the original box that the Harper banks were sold in. We find a politician swollen to gargantuan proportion by his insatiable appetite for power and political advancement. These iconic figural banks are an excellent example of political satire. The pictures below depict some original Harper money boxes, made in England – circa 1885.
Due to this, the pipes from the Harper banks often got lost or broke. The pipe is also very slender and long – resembling a saxophone. The original Harper banks were made of cast iron and were manufactured as still banks (without any moving parts) – so the pipe in the Harper banks was fixed. Some Harper money boxes also have a “made in England” inscription on the back, underneath the previously mentioned text.
“TRANSVAAL MONEY BOX” is written boldly on Kruger’s top hat, and “By Permission of the Proprietors of the Westminster Gazette,” on Kruger’s back – across his shoulders. The money boxes weigh around 1.2kgs and are roughly 16cm tall and 12cm wide. Hair, beard, face, hands – creamy white.The picture below is taken from one of their old catalogs in 1902.Īs specified in the catalog listing, Harper made the bank in “maroon bronzed”, “venetian bronzed (highly finished)” and “in various colours.” Of the three types, the venetian bronzed was the most expensive, however, the coloured ones are the most desirable today. The first Kruger money banks were made by John Harper & Co. The drawing would serve as the model for the money box, however, since the likeness was so strong, Harper asked for permission from the Westminster Gazette before proceeding – in order to avoid possible copyright implications (Source: The Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum). Ltd, who were ironfounders and domestic hardware manufacturers, of Birmingham, and/or of Albion Works, Willenhall, Staffs, saw this drawing and thought Kruger would be the perfect subject to front as a symbol of security for a money box. “Paul Kruger was seen as a giant among his people, at a time when the Boers had just defeated the British army at Majuba Hill (1881), and caused the British Government to sue for peace, so ending the First Anglo-Boer War in the Boer’s favour.” (Source: The Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum)Īround this time a drawing depicting Paul Kruger, done by well-known British caricaturist and political cartoonist, Francis Carruthers Gould, had been published in The Westminster Gazette, which was an influential Liberal newspaper based in London – known for publishing sketches and short stories. Kruger, as a man, was heavy set and exuded great vitality and strength.” (Source: The Canadian Anglo-Boer War Museum). Later he was said to have wrestled a buffalo to the ground, pinning it by the horns. He had reputedly killed his first lion at age 14. Wherever he went, photos showed him with his pipe. “Paul Kruger’s whole life had been to serve as a bulwark of his people against the aggression of British colonial interests in South Africa. Nicknamed Oom Paul (“Uncle Paul”), he came to international prominence as the face of the Boer cause against the British. Stephanus Johannes Paulus “ Paul” Kruger (10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or Transvaal) from 1883 to 1900. This article uncovers the history of the popular antique cast iron money boxes that depict the late Transvaal president, Paul Kruger.
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