Cast iron mechanical bank featuring stereotypical representations of three African American baseball players. The metal bank includes a pitcher, a batter, and a catcher all with moveable parts. The fully-functioning spring-loaded bank operates by placing a coin in a slot in the pitcher’s hand and rotating the pitcher’s arm backwards (which also bows the pitcher’s head) to set the arm. Pressing a lever behind the catcher, causes the pitcher to “throw” the coin, the batter to swing the bat, and the coin to be deposited in a revealed hole in the catcher’s chest. The coin drops to a compartment below the field. All three players wear garish brightly colored mismatched uniforms and their exaggerated facial features are typical of the stereotypical and offensive portrayals of African Americans in the late nineteenth century. The batter’s shirt reads “Possum.”

Below the mechanical figures,on the base of the bank raised orange-painted lettering reads “Dark-Town Battery” with two crossed bats between the words. The bottom of the bank indicates that parts were patented on February 2, 1875, and on January 17, 1888. The bank has some minor paint loss.

The banks includes an advertising card with operating instructions that reads:

“Base-Ball Bank.

Patented

No. 302.

Length, 10 in. ; Height 7 1/4 in. ; Width 2 3/4 in.

Place a coin in the hand of the pitcher, press the lever, and the coin is swiftly pitched.

As the batter misses, it is safely deposited by the catcher.

The movements of all figures are very life like.

Nicely finished in fancy colors.

The J. & E. Stevens Co.,

Manufacturers Cromwell, Conn.”

Formats include a mechanical bank and an advertising card.