No 5 ? Coin Bank

[Gspragge]

This came with the APDS projectile and turned out to be a gem of a thing too.
In a past life I had 20 or so very good ww1 Briitish grenades, things I can no longer afford
let alone find. So this will be fine as my only current example.
If any one knows if this is a No 5 or 23 etc and when they were made I would be
pleased to know. I would suspect just post ww1 of course.

 

[millsbomber]

There are examples with a sticker on saying about war savings, i think Colin Morgan's Mills site has one

 

[Gspragge]

I can't find it, just some bloody actor !

 

[millsbomber]

Sorry about that, i cannot find it any more on my devices, Colin is a member on this site, i found his example on another FB site, the slot in under the lever on his there is a post about them on here some where.

 

[Snufkin]

Previous thread showing the transfers (or decals) "The Grenade Bank, Regd No 655472"

https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/couldnt-resist-this-one-today.74506/#post-159023

 

[Gspragge]

Excellent, so it's likely a No 23 with the ribbed lever and the Registration date is in 1916.
655472 = 1916 starts at No 653521 and runs to 658987. 1917 starts with 658988.

 

[Snufkin]

The registered design is the second one shown in this earlier thread:

https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/mills-grenade-id-please.85542/#post-223119

 

[Gspragge]

Excellent, same thing as was done with the VSM and pre VSM 1Prs around 1900 -

I do wonder how an already Patented item (patent still in force) with a slot and a tin base added could then be re registered as a (new) Novelty ?
We have an agents name , but agent for whom ? If it was Mills then that might make sence.
It seems rather weasely to me ~ You wouldn't get away with that these days -

 

[brummbar]

Nice one.N°5 or 23 depends on the bottomplug.Yours is a homemade one for emptying the piggybank Try to find a nice original bottomplug to replace it but keep the odd one .

No5 Base Plugs From Mills Munitions and His Contractors from July 1915 To December 1915

N°23 bottomplugs (as those for thr N°36 could be fixed with a rod so they could be fired by the Smle.N°36 could be fitted with a gascheckplate to be fired from a grenade cup also fixed on a N°1 MkIII

 

[Gspragge]

"Nice one.N°5 or 23 depends on the bottomplug.Yours is a homemade one for emptying the piggybank Try to find a nice original bottomplug to replace it but keep the odd one ."
I must dissagree ~
This one was made as a bank, it never saw internals or base plug. Being original to reconvert it would only spoil it. If you look at the registered design the tin base is there
(and said base is not home made). I think a regular one with base plug and issue paint with a coin cut is more likely the home made kind.
And as has been suggested a bank is rarer than a regular issue kind.
In WW1 more than other wars a fair amount of war material notably 18pr items were diverted to the civilian market as patriotic fund raisers, awards for same and as
means to deal with perhaps reject matter in a cost effective manner. Things like that helped put the civilians in a more warlike mood I suspect ~