English potters have produced ceramic still banks since the 1700s. American potters in the 19th century made still banks of red ware or stoneware. Older ceramic banks without an access hole, of course, put the saved coins beyond the reach of children, until that day when, by "accident" or intention, the bank smashed into pieces and yielded its treasure.
Pig-shaped bank
Some historians and collectors note that, in folk traditions, the pig signifies good fortune and a few pennies in pig-shaped savings banks offered to newborns suggest the beginnings of wealth and good luck. The term "piggy" bank, however, refers to any small bank for saving coins, especially one intended for a child.