Hi im very interested in the Birmingham municipal bank in particular the moneyboxes that were produced.Does anybody have either any photos of either the the money boxes or where they were manufactured.I have one with the 1936 coat of arms and was made in London,by the Automatic Recording Safe Co Ltd,any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks, Steve
-
Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.
We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi brummie60: There is a Birmingham Municipal Bank thread on the forum. If you put those three words into the forum search engine you will find the thread. There are a couple of photos of moneyboxes from the Birmingham Municipal Bank on the thread. I found some information that was posted elsewhere on the Net that the boxes were manufactured by Pearson, Page & Jewsbury in Birmingham but I am not sure if those were the Birmingham Municipal boxes since several banks had moneyboxes way back when. The keys to open the boxes were held by the bank you belonged to. After you had filled them you had to take them to your bank and they would have a key to open them. The money inside the box would be put into your account.
Hi #60
I have no idea where they were manufactured but from an early age (early 40's) we had these little oval black boxes about 3'' deep into which we were encouraged to put our 1/2d's. They had a slot one end & a round hole in the other (for paper money) The slot end had small fingers on the inside over the opening, this prevented you putting a knife in the slot & retreaving the coins.
Later, in the late 50's, I remember taking taking my yellowy/faun bank book to the (Municripal, as I remember it being called) bank & withdrawing the money to buy my first car (c.£300) so I supose the 1/2d's must have added up
I have no idea where they were manufactured but from an early age (early 40's) we had these little oval black boxes about 3'' deep into which we were encouraged to put our 1/2d's. They had a slot one end & a round hole in the other (for paper money) The slot end had small fingers on the inside over the opening, this prevented you putting a knife in the slot & retreaving the coins.
Later, in the late 50's, I remember taking taking my yellowy/faun bank book to the (Municripal, as I remember it being called) bank & withdrawing the money to buy my first car (c.£300) so I supose the 1/2d's must have added up
Thanks jennyann,I recently purchased one off ebay and am having doubts how original it is,Ive searched online for the manufacturers but to no avail,they were the Automatic Recording Safe Co Ltd based in London.The badge is the 1936 coat of arms.I will look in the search engine as you advised, Thanks, Steve
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
I had one in the 40s'50s with a child's account at the branch on the junction of College Rd and Goodway Rd. I not sure what happened to my box, but my brother-in-law kept his. The hole was for putting pound notes in if you were rich enough. I still have my bank book somewhere, and I think there is a very small amount of cash still in the account !
B
BernardR
Guest
I think I have my first wife's money box somewhere. My sister and I jemmied ours open but Mom spotted us looking guilty and took the money
cookie273uk
master brummie
I remember opening an a/c with the Bham Municipal Bank when I came out of the RAF in 1956, later in 1962 when I was arranging a mortgage I was told by the Building Society to open an a/c with a "real" bank which had cheque book facilities so I had to close my a/c and move to the Westministerl Bank (later to became part of Nat West with the National and another Bank whose name escapes me and who I am still with). I remember having one of those metal savings boxes which I returned when I closed my a/c. Eric
paul stacey
master brummie
did the municipal become the "Midland Bank" in the 50's or am I thinking of Martins Bank I am sure there was one in Colmore Row.
paul
paul
john knight
signman
Fenderbender
proper brummie kid
My brother and I had one of these each, and my sister had one that looked like a leather covered book. You could easily remove paper money through the hole after it had been deposited. The method was to use a pair of tweezers to catch the edge of the note, then roll the note round and round until it became a thin cylinder and was narrow enough to pull through the hole.
H
Happyguy
Guest
I have one of these money boxes and it was made by Wilkins and Right, a company i worked at as a polisher in 1966. The company was situated on the main road near to the West Bromwich football club, the building was pulled down sometime back and the new building was a DIY store.
Radiorails
master brummie
I belive, if memory serves well, that many Birmingham tramcars carried advertisements for The Municipal Bank. The prominent adverts were displayed on the doors separating the passengercompartment from the open driving vestibules: the advert, I am sure, was etched in the the upper glass window of the door.
I wonder if others remember this feature of Birmingham's tramcars and how accurate is my post?
I wonder if others remember this feature of Birmingham's tramcars and how accurate is my post?
hi viv ;
yes like you i thought it would have been in the birmingham archives as i thought from day one it was the birmingham council owned bank all those years ago with its history i remember being a little kid and openning the saving account at upper thomas street school when they started to get little kids intrested in saving money
we had to take a little form home from the school secretary all classes was given them on friday after noon before going home and return the form back to the teacher
in the class my aunty maud gave me the old sixpence to start me off and funny enough i did save but i always left that tanner in the account
but years later i forgot all about it and the bank of munic; had gone and it later became a tsb bank for donkeys years
and now fifty odd years later tsb have come back on the market and now i am back with them but yes i thought it was council owned and like you say may be of intrest to some one and i wonder how it got to become scotlands property was it sold or borrowed ; the sixty four dollar question ;
viv have a nice day i am off to the river in the city to see our great city flood best wishes alan ;; astonian;
Last edited by a moderator:
perry commoner
master brummie
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
I too remember the Birmingham Municipal Bank, I opened an account in about 1955. I was given a 'home safe' which was a steel moneybox. The branch of the bank kept the key and the contents was credited to your account when opened by the cashier. No chance of getting the money out yourself. I still have my 'home safe', something of a relic now.
I too remember the Birmingham Municipal Bank, I opened an account in about 1955. I was given a 'home safe' which was a steel moneybox. The branch of the bank kept the key and the contents was credited to your account when opened by the cashier. No chance of getting the money out yourself. I still have my 'home safe', something of a relic now.
perry commoner
master brummie
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
Hello patb, Well that's 2 I know of, there cannot be many still in existence and they could have a value in years to come.
Hello patb, Well that's 2 I know of, there cannot be many still in existence and they could have a value in years to come.
perry commoner
master brummie
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
The B M B was taken over by the T S B if I remember correctly and probably went out of use then. I cannot remember the year.
The B M B was taken over by the T S B if I remember correctly and probably went out of use then. I cannot remember the year.
Phil
Gone, but not forgotten.
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
The Birmingham Municipal Bank became the Trustee Saving Bank in 1976 when it ceased to be part of the Council, I remember because they wrote to remind me of £10 I had in a saving account that I had forgotten all about. Later it was privatised and became part of Lloyds.
The Birmingham Municipal Bank became the Trustee Saving Bank in 1976 when it ceased to be part of the Council, I remember because they wrote to remind me of £10 I had in a saving account that I had forgotten all about. Later it was privatised and became part of Lloyds.
cookie273uk
master brummie
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
When my late Wife and I put a deposit down on our first home in 1962 we were told by our solicitors to open an account with a 'real' Bank (with cheque book facilities) and to close our BMB account (Aston Cross branch) which we did and joined Westminster which later became the Nat West when it merged with the National and another Bank. Eric
When my late Wife and I put a deposit down on our first home in 1962 we were told by our solicitors to open an account with a 'real' Bank (with cheque book facilities) and to close our BMB account (Aston Cross branch) which we did and joined Westminster which later became the Nat West when it merged with the National and another Bank. Eric
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
the lloyed and TSB WAS Almalgate was one bank but now they have just recently parted company from Lloyeds bank and set up again in the own name
TSB bank but what they have done they just call them the selves The Bank ;
and they have taken on some building societys to fall into the bussiness so some of these building societys are now called TSB BANK
My building society is now TSB along with other smaller bulding societys so now i am with the TSB bankng system hope i have done the right thing by allowin and staying with my society best wishes Astonian;;
the lloyed and TSB WAS Almalgate was one bank but now they have just recently parted company from Lloyeds bank and set up again in the own name
TSB bank but what they have done they just call them the selves The Bank ;
and they have taken on some building societys to fall into the bussiness so some of these building societys are now called TSB BANK
My building society is now TSB along with other smaller bulding societys so now i am with the TSB bankng system hope i have done the right thing by allowin and staying with my society best wishes Astonian;;
anvil man
master brummie
Re: Birmingham Municipal Bank memorial
When I was at Raddlebarn School at the age of 11yrs in 1947 I was a National Savings monitor and every Monday morning went round all classes to take money and orders for stamps. In all weathers I cycled to the Municipal Bank in Bournbrook to obtain the relevant value stamps. I remember they were very friendly staff but no one , even the school teachers ,were phased by an 11yr old conducting a money saving scheme! Could you imagine the like nowadays, armed guards come to mind!!
When I was at Raddlebarn School at the age of 11yrs in 1947 I was a National Savings monitor and every Monday morning went round all classes to take money and orders for stamps. In all weathers I cycled to the Municipal Bank in Bournbrook to obtain the relevant value stamps. I remember they were very friendly staff but no one , even the school teachers ,were phased by an 11yr old conducting a money saving scheme! Could you imagine the like nowadays, armed guards come to mind!!
Duplicate post removed.Viv
brummie nick
master brummie
[FONT="]We had the mortgage for our house with the Municipal Bank, it was great, fixed rate of 4 and a half % over twenty years[/FONT].
links on post 1, excellent history and memories of the bank. I used the witton lane branch, they used to know you by name when you went in to the branch. if you needed help or information they would help you. loans and a mortgage followed and all was well. what surprised me that the manager had a good local insite of the people who lived and worked in the area. kind reguards sidwho
