Q: I have a cast metal penny bank with an acrobat that kicks a coin off a small rise into a hole on the other side. It’s spring-loaded and is activated with a small lever behind the acrobat. The word “Acrobat” is embossed on the base. How old is it? Does it have any value? 

A: The original version of this bank was made by J. & E. Stevens in 1883 and advertised in the company’s catalog as “The Gymnast.” If you put a coin near the clown’s foot and press the lever under the gymnast’s foot, the gymnast swings up and kicks the clown over backwards. The clown’s head hits a lever and the coin falls into the base below. The word “Acrobat” is not on the base of the original, which is thinner and different from the base on your bank. Also, the shapes of the figures and the paint are different and look new. This is one of many mechanical banks that have been reproduced. You have a reproduction. The old, original banks can sell for over a thousand dollars, but newer reproductions are worth less than $50.