DENVER, Pa. â The revered Bob and Judy Brady collection of antique mechanical banks attracted worldwide bidding and strong prices at Morphyâs live gallery auction held February 27 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The premier collection built over a 40-year period featured some of the most elusive, beautifully preserved banks known to exist. In total, the 184 banks realized $2 million, inclusive of 20% buyerâs premium.
The top seller, a J & E Stevens âShoot the Chuteâ bank featuring beloved early comic strip characters Buster Brown and his dog Tige, swept past its $80,000-$120,000 estimate to land at $156,000. âThat bank offered everything a mechanical bank collector could possibly want,â said Dan Morphy, president of Morphy Auctions and a bank authority in his own right. âItâs in near-mint-plus condition, has its very rare original wood factory box, and came with provenance from the late Donal Markey, who was one of the most condition-f