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Coin Bank

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Description
In the late 1860s and early 1870s, a faction of the Democratic party know as Tammany Hall dominated New York City politics. The notoriously corrupt machine was led by Boss William Tweed, who ultimately ended up in prison for stealing millions of dollars from city contracts. Part of the scam involved the creation of Tammany Banks to embezzle funds, which caused a run on the banks in 1871, as Tweed’s empire came crashing down. This object satirizes the seemingly unending corruption of political machines like Tammany Hall.
Credit Line
Ralph E. Becker
1873
ID Number
PL.227739.1872.X02
catalog number
227739.1872.X02
accession number
227739
Object Name
Bank
Physical Description
brown, beige, black (overall color)
metal, iron (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 5 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in x 4 1/4 in; 13.97 cm x 8.89 cm x 10.795 cm
See more items in
Political History: Political History, Campaign Collection
Government, Politics, and Reform
American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith
Exhibition
American Democracy
Exhibition Location
National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
general subject association
Economic Protest
Record ID
nmah_516161
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b3-a178-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • Political Novelties

    American History Museum
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