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Collection 1 > UK

Szeiler/ Arthur Wood

In 1951 the Hungarian Joseph Szeiler started Szeiler Studio in Hanley (Staffordshire). With custom designed moulds he made small figures of clay which are famous for Szeiler. In 1957 the studio moved to Burslem and started producing vases, crockery and piggy banks. After the death of Joseph in 1986, his widow took over the business and later sold it to Moorlands. Nice piggy banks with large ears (which are often broken). The Szeiler mould was also used by Price Brothers and later Price & Kensington (Burslem).
The history of the Woods goes more than 250 years back; the factory is located in Longport. Arthur Wood, Bradwell Works, Longport, Stoke-on-Trent lasted from 1904 to 1928. From 1928 to 1989, the factory continued as Arthur Wood & Sons Ltd. And since 1989 it is part of Price & Kensington Potteries, Longport (like Szeiler). Today the factory is specialized in teapots.

SylvaC; Surrey; Rye

SylvaC: Shaw & Copestake Ltd Longton (Staffordshire). From 1936 on piggy banks are made. The factory had a management buyout in 1982, which was short lived. The black piggy banks come in two sizes, 10.5 and 16 cm. The largest is only available with stopper in the belly!

Surrey Ceramics: Known are Grayshott Pottery in Godalming and Kingwood Pottery, Wormley (Surrey).

Rye: Since medieval times pottery is made in Rye. Two potters/ potteries David Sharp and Rye Pottery are well known. Sharp died in 1993 and Rye Pottery is still producing ceramics, but no pig piggy banks anymore. My 3 piggy banks by Rye Pottery were made between 1947 and 1975. And the original David Sharp is dated 1964-1975.

James Kent

The last plant of the original works of James Kent (Old Foley, Longton) was demolished in 2006. We know Kent from the Old Foley piggy bank models, one mould 11 cm long with different patterns and colours. About the date of the Old Foley piggy banks there is hardly a rule to be given.

George Wade; Geoffrey Maund; PWW

George Wade & Son (Burslem) exists since 1800. Wade became popular by the series created from 1984 commissioned by the National Westminster (NatWest) Bank. Pigs of this series were given to children that opened a bank account. Today they are collector’s items all with a stopper in the bottom! I collect what Wade made the old fashioned way!
Geoffrey Maund Pottery Ltd. began in 1950 and produced tableware in Purley, Croydon, Surrey. Their piggy banks have traditionally provided texts that indicate the use of the accumulated savings.
The Prince William Pottery is now known as Britain's Premier Mug Decorator. PWP made piggy banks (Prince William Ware) in the 1960's. The curator told me many years ago that they had no more production records or old moulds. The PWW piggy banks are painted on the glaze, which is easy to brush off.