Bidspirit auction | Astro Mfg. Berzac NASA Rocket

Astro Mfg. Berzac NASA Rocket Bank 1969 - 11 inches. A vintage mechanical coin bank manufactured by Astro Mfg. Inc. and designed by John Berzac. The bank is constructed from chrome-plated die-cast metal and features a retro-futuristic rocket design with three fins and red plastic engine nozzles at the base. One fin is embossed with the text Astro Mfg. Inc. Detroit, Mich. U.S.A. Patent Pending. A second fin is embossed with the marks RD. 1957-A Berzac Creation and Can. Pat. 150-25482. The rocket body includes a red-painted circular emblem with a stylized A logo for the manufacturer. A wrap-around paper label is present on the central cylinder, printed with the text 70th Congress Souvenir, Houston, Texas, July 1969, NASA, Home of the Astronauts. This piece was distributed as a commemorative item during the period of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The mechanical operation utilizes a spring-loaded coin slot on the side of the body, which is triggered by a red button to project coins into the interior storage chamber.