Tole Still Bank/Money Box, Post Office, The Garden Co. Ltd, early 20th Century

This delightful tole box is in the form of a post office letterbox in red and is labelled ‘Post Office’ and was made by The Garden Co., Ltd. Bakers and Confectioners and may well have originally contained candies. Included in the design is the image of a young boy posting a letter through the slot and also an interested little puppy dog. There is a small sign on the box for ‘Next Collection 1.00pm’. The lid at the top of the cylindrical box lifts off but is quite a tight fit - this would then enable the money to be retrieved that had been “posted” through the slot on the box. The condition is good for age with some loss of the design at the bottom and in a few other areas but this still makes a desirable example for a collection. Height 4.5 ins (11.4cm) x maximum diameter 2.25 ins (5.7cm). Weight 52 grams. This item appears in my book, “Antique Boxes, Inside and Out” on page 227.