Country of Origin: United States
Dimensions:
5.08 x 20.32 x 4.45cm (2in. x 8in. x 1 3/4in.) (Approximate)
Materials:
Metal, plastic.
This rocket-themed bank is the Duro Mercury mechanical bank. The Detroit-based company Duro Pattern & Mold Co. began producing the Mercury model rocket bank in the early 1950s. Although labeled on its packaging only as a "Rocket Bank," this model was known as the Mercury model. Shaped like a comic-book-style rocket ship, with curved sides and a pointed end, the Duro Mercury bank had a mechanism that allowed the owner to shoot coins (pennies, nickels, or dimes) into a slot in the "nose cone" of the bank. Such banks were made to be distributed by individual bank branches as a part of promotions, as evidenced by the label on its side from the First National Bank of Denver, Colorado.
Raymond Reines donated this bank to the Museum in 2011.
Gift of Raymond R. Reines. Dedicated to the Berzac Family, in honor of Team NASA.
