The Kenton Brand Cast Iron Combination Safe Bank
Ohio Foundry Collection, Pre-1935 Collection, Northeast Ohio Foundries, Museum Collection Steve Thaman Ohio Foundry Collection, Pre-1935 Collection, Northeast Ohio Foundries, Museum Collection Steve Thaman

The Kenton Brand Cast Iron Combination Safe Bank

In 1893, a struggling lock company in Kenton, Ohio cast its first toy: a bank. That decision launched the Kenton Hardware Company on a path to becoming one of the world's largest cast iron toy factories — makers of horse-drawn fire trucks, toy automobiles, and the Gene Autry cap pistol that sold two million units in eighteen months. This combination safe still bank, marked "KENTON BRAND" on the base, is the product category that started it all. Ornate Victorian scrollwork, combination knob, coin slot, and hinged rear panel. Pieces held by the Smithsonian. Ohio Historical Society marker at the factory site. Acquired from eBay seller jpnkoi, March 2026

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