glass brick bank with silver coins...

UconnL

Need a suggestion...

A friend phoned me today about a Glass Brick Bank filled with Pre 1950 Silver coins...
Slq's, Merc's, Barbers, and a few seated dimes and quarters taken out of circ. In mid. To late 40's...

They offered me the coins w. The bank... I will pay a fair price for 90% and more if some rarities.
However... how do you get coins out of bank? Was going to try to shake some out... put a sticky wire in and pull them.out...
Any ideas to maybe cut off the top?? Thoughts ? Larry

lordmarcovan

A little patience and a table knife might work, if the blade is thin enough to push up in there and still allow enogh room for coins to fall out of the slot.

A wooden tongue depressor or popsicle stick might run less chance of scratching a coin. Better yet, one of those wooden coffee stir sticks.

Depends on how narrow the slot is. As a not-too-thrifty kid, I was a master of raiding my piggy banks, but never had the heart to smash 'em.

You having a clear brick that you can see into, it should be easier than picking a piggy bank.

UconnL

Oh no!!!!!. There has to be another way!!! Pleaseeeeeeeeeeezzzzzz

UconnL

Like the thin stick or wooden/plastic blade...I really want to save the bank!

nibanny

What's a glass brick bank?
(I am italian and have never heard this term)

Dentuck

A skeptic might ask if he also has unsearched rolls of Indian Head cents
with a gold dollar visible on one end.

Just joshing there. On a more serious note, have you seen the brick?
If not, can he get you a photo of it? If you have seen it, does
it look like you could break it with a few gentle taps of a hammer?

lordmarcovan

I'd like to see pix of this bank, with coins inside. How clear is the glass, and how well can you see the goodies?

If it has held those coins for 60 or 70 years, it would be a shame to smash it, and who wants glass shrapnel flying around?

Sawing it doesn't seem much more appealing.

Get a wooden coffee stirrer or similar flat, elongated tool and set to work. You'll get the knack soon enough, and the more coins come out of the bank, the easier it will likely be to jimmy the rest out.

MsMorrisine

An newer model with a removal hole in the bottom

jrt103

Should be fairly easy to drill a hole in the bottom or side... just be sure to use a good drill bit

66Tbird

I've got one also about a third full of 60's stuff. I took a strip of 1/64 plywood wing sheeting (RC hobby Shop) and slid it to the bottom. Then turned the bank till coins fell into the wood then tilted the whole thing and let the slide down the wood and out. Was going to try two and fan them a little.

MsMorrisine

A bent wire without a sharp tip might be useful to mash tape down on the last few coins.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>I've got one also about a third full of 60's stuff. I took a strip of 1/64 plywood wing sheeting (RC hobby Shop) and slid it to the bottom. Then turned the bank till coins fell into the wood then tilted the whole thing and let the slide down the wood and out. Was going to try two and fan them a little. >>



There you go. 66Tbird are on the same page as far as nondestructive techniques go. Same method, different tools.

Long, thin, and rigid enough to give the coins a ramp to slide out on. You could even try a strip of card stock paper, if it was rigid enough to stay straight when you shove it up in there.

DrBuster

If you can drop them in you can shake them out. Pics of this please. I'd offer on sight seen before trying to smash it if patience is a factor.

19Lyds

The table knife is what we used as kids.

If a metal knife won't work then use a plastic knife. Either way, scratching would simply not happen and certainly no more damage could occur to the coins in there that hasn't already occurred from dropped into that thing much less the tendency for folks to shake it around looking for what the coin(s) might be.

UconnL

Was sent text to my phone... can not figure how to send pic from phone to internet...I will not smash bank as it is a wonderful old Bank... any ideas of how to send pics to internet? if it works I will post. Bank is being shipped to me...

UconnL

Scanned the photo from phone...

Dollar bill was to show size of bank...

MsMorrisine

Looks like a challenge.

That thing is packed.

lordmarcovan

Looks interesting- there's a high grade Merc in view.

You'll have a challenge jimmying 'em outta there, but once you've gotten a fair portion out, it should get progressively easier, using the method 66Tbird and I described. Once the clump inside gets smaller, the coins will be easier to jockey into the right position to fall out of the slot.

If you were local, I'd do it for you for the price of one silver coin of your choice outta the hoard.

MsMorrisine

sand and polish down the end of a coat hanger if the initial ones are hard to get out? maybe you can hook some into line?

OldIndianNutKase

You can drill a hole in the bottom of the glass brick with a diamond core bit. That way you preserve the brick and you don't cause damage to the coins by manipulating them with a lever or wire.

OINK

NewEnglandNotes

Where is the bank from? All I can make out for writing on it is "Watch your savings grow with".

Depending on where it is from, age and how many are still kicking around, the bank itself probably has a value of $20-$30 empty.

UconnL

Esso...

pmac

An exercise in patience.

ricko

LordM and 66Tbird are right... just use a tongue depressor.... slow at first, but it gets faster.... could empty that bank in half an hour... Cheers, RickO

Veep

I just saw one of these that said: "New York World's Fair 1940" and on the other side it had a picture of a building that said "Glass Center." To the point: There was a sticker on it that showed a picture of the bank covered with a cloth and being smashed with a hammer. At least those were the "official" emptying instructions.

66Tbird

Looks like there could be some good stuff in that bank. In my case my coin slot was surprising thin. Only a tad more than a nickel. I searched a while trying different materials strong enough to do the job. I did have a few break off inside. In the end that very thin plywood sheeting soak in CA glue and vised between wax paper till dry did the trick. I'd mess with it at night while watching TV for an hour. Took over a week to empty it. I didn't find any winners btw but I did find a new respect for those hobbyist that build things in bottles. Or I should say I now know how they do it.

Dentuck

I might just be confused and addlepated, but. . . .

The dollar bill that's visible in the photograph appears to be near the
bottom of the brick.

It looks like it has the signature of Treasurer Rosa "Rosie" Gumataotao Rios.

Rosie Rios has been treasurer of the United States since 2009.

So, I'm wondering, Were all of these coins put in the glass brick after 2009?

DoubleEagle59

Smash the bank, then dip all the coins.

neocirrhitus

<< <i>I might just be confused and addlepated, but. . . .

The dollar bill that's visible in the photograph appears to be near the
bottom of the brick.

It looks like it has the signature of Treasurer Rosa "Rosie" Gumataotao Rios.

Rosie Rios has been treasurer of the United States since 2009.

So, I'm wondering, Were all of these coins put in the glass brick after 2009? >>



He said it was just for comparison, I don't believe it's actually IN the bank.

habaraca

go to a good glass company that does custom work....

they have hole saws that may work to make a hole in the bottom.....

Dentuck

<< <i>

<< <i>

The dollar bill that's visible in the photograph appears to be near the
bottom of the brick.

>>



He said it was just for comparison, I don't believe it's actually IN the bank. >>






Ha! I see that now; thanks. "Addlepated" it is.

CoinZip

Go to the hardware store and get a thin piece of aluminum flashing, cut it so you can insert it into the bank's whole, gently shake the bank turned on its side and the coins will slide down the flashing.

Be careful the flashing will have sharp edged, you may want to wear a pear of gloves.

UconnL

Neat ideas... Thank you all!
The $1 Bill is outside... When I head about bank, I asked for a photo to be sent with a Dollar bill for a size comparison...

erwindoc

Not sure how much damage it might do to the coins, but you could heat one end with a blow torch to soften the glass and then get into it much easier.

2manycoins2fewfunds

Take it to a glass/window shop and they can cut a circular hole in the bottom.

Cut an X across the circle.

Stop just before you break through then tap the plug gently with padded hammer.
With luck you will preserve bank and not damage coins....................

They should be able to polish the holes edges so it won't cut anyone.

MIght consider what you will use as a replacement plug before cutting hole..................

nss

"taken out of circ. In mid. To late 40's..."

The dollar bill does seem to be an anomaly.

pmac

<< <i>I might just be confused and addlepated, but. . . .

The dollar bill that's visible in the photograph appears to be near the
bottom of the brick.

It looks like it has the signature of Treasurer Rosa "Rosie" Gumataotao Rios.

Rosie Rios has been treasurer of the United States since 2009.

So, I'm wondering, Were all of these coins put in the glass brick after 2009? >>


"addlepated" - now there is an old word. I can't ever remember hearing it. I did look it up and it's derived from addled (confused).
You can see on the second photo that the dollar is on the outside, the curve on the glass stops at the bill, nice research though.

nss

No, no, no. Do not insert anything metal into the bank. Get a Popsicle stick, a chop stick, or even a sturdy toothpick to use as a tool.

Get two piles of books and put the bank upside on top of them over a gap big enough to insert your hand and tool. Poke up into the slot, and the coins will fall out one by one. Put them aside as each one comes out. It may take a while, but this way you will not damage any of the coins.

When I was a kid, I could raid my piggy bank this way (but I just used a kitchen knife). Works like a charm.

nss

Pretty good bill for liar's poker.

magikbilly

<< <i>I just saw one of these that said: "New York World's Fair 1940" and on the other side it had a picture of a building that said "Glass Center." To the point: There was a sticker on it that showed a picture of the bank covered with a cloth and being smashed with a hammer. At least those were the "official" emptying instructions. >>



Hello,

I have several 1939 and 1940 NYWF glass banks. It could be Esso, or from the Glass building if square and 1940. Round ones are from '39 and also from the Glass or Petroleum building.

Anyway, I just fold a bit of reasonably stiff paper into a "flat funnel" and insert - remove coins.

Eric

UconnL

Thank you all will keep you posted... Pick up the bank on Sunday...Larry