Black Americana Bank Stores a Profitable Lump of Change by Anne McCollam on Creators.com

Recently

Carnival Glass Bowl Used on Holidays Q: My mother received this purple carnival glass bowl around 1910. She gave it to me when I married in 1957. Marked on the bottom is an "N" in a circle and there is a line under it. The inside is smooth; the only pattern is on the outside. …Read more. Reverse Painted Lamp Made in Early 1900s Q: Enclosed is a photo of an electric lamp that belonged to my husband's parents. It stands approximately 14 inches tall, has a reverse-painted, dome-shaped, glass shade and a metal base. There is no manufacturer's mark, and it is in excellent …Read more. Porcelain Condiment Set Serves as Family Heirloom Q: I have in my possession the porcelain set that is seen in the enclosed photo. The set consists of a tray, a covered sugar bowl with a matching porcelain spoon and two shakers. The round tray measures approximately 7 inches in diameter. They are …Read more. Vintage Children's Hankies Not to be Sneezed at Q: Enclosed is a photo of a child's vintage handkerchief that is one of a dozen that I have. They are approximately 8 inches square, are hemmed and in mint condition. Each hanky features a variety of scenes that include animals, children at play and …Read more.

Black Americana Bank Stores a Profitable Lump of Change

Q: Enclosed is a photo of an antique cast iron "Mammy" bank. It stands over 5 inches tall and has the original paint. Other than a little wear and a few chips on the finish, it is in good condition. Money is inserted in a horizontal opening on her back, and there is a screw in middle of her apron sash.

I would like to know if my bank is considered a collectible and if it has any monetary value.

A: You have a nice example of a collectible Black Americana still bank. Black Americana is an area of collecting that has wide appeal, especially to African-Americans. Your bank also has a crossover value; it would be of interest to both collectors of toy banks and Black Americana.

Made by Hubley in Lancaster, Pa., from 1914 to 1946, your bank would probably be worth $225 to $300.

Q: My wife has a set of dishes purchased from the Jewel Tea Co. The pattern is "Autumn Leaf," and I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of each dish. The set was purchased around 1948 — most pieces were sold for $5 to $10.

Is this set of any value?

A: Hall China Co. made their "Autumn Leaf" pattern dishes from the 1930s to the 1970s. Using the design as a decal pattern, the dishes were sold by the Jewel Tea Co. as premiums for buying their products. There were several other companies that used the "Autumn Leaf" decal; often they were not marked. As a rule, Hall's dishes were marked, making them easy to identify.

Most "Autumn Leaf" dishes, which were created by Hall, are in the range of $10 to $20 each.

Specialty pieces can go as high as $150 to $200.

Q: I have a collection of children's books by Thornton W. Burgess. The set includes eight hardbound copies of the "Mother West Wind" series. They were gifts to my husband when he was 4 years old in 1940, and they are still in excellent condition. The copyrights range from 1910 to 1918. Green with blue lettering, the books were published by Little Brown with colored illustrations by Harrison Cady.

Can you tell me if they are valuable in any way other than sentimental?

A: Thornton W. Burgess books continue to be collectible. His "Mother West Wind" series of books are listed in the "Collectors Guide to Children's Books, 1850 to 1950" — by Diane McClure Jones and Rosemary Jones — at $45 each.

Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.