Going back in time to 1938, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was awarded the contract for the development of an inexpensive automobile that eventually would become the KdF Wagen (Volkswagen Beetle or “VW Bug” as we know it today). The German Nazi labor organization, Die Deutsche Arbeitsfront, established a savings plan system allowing for the purchase of a KdF Wagen or People’s car. This plan enabled the German citizens to sign up to buy a KdF Wagen by purchasing a weekly 5 Reichsmark saving stamp which was then pasted in a KdF Wagen Savers booklet. Upon completion of the 990 Reichsmark and 200 Reichsmark requirements for a KdF Wagen Sedan and insurance (took about 4 1/2 years), the German owner would be required to travel to the KdF Wagen factory in Stadt Des KdF-Wagens and pick up their new KdF Wagen. Die Deutsche Arbeitsfront had a popular slogan: 5 Mark die woche mußt Du sparen-Willst Du im eignen KdF-Wagen fahren! (You have to save 5 Reichsmark a week if you want to drive your own KdF Wagen!).
On May 26, 1938, the cornerstone ceremony for the location of the factory was held in the newly formed town of Stadt des KdF Wagens with Der Führer and Dr. Ferdinand Porsche in attendance. Three of the VW Type 38 vehicles, a dark blue/grey Sedan (the basic KdF Wagen color), a black Sunroof Sedan and a burgundy red soft top Convertible were in attendance as well, for the people to view and hope to own one someday. The VW Type 38 Sedan model was a Split Window Beetle in which its basic design would be produced in the post war era for many decades to come. The KdF abbreviation came from Die Deutsche Arbeitsfront slogan “Kraft durch Freude” (Strength through Joy). The KdF Wagen was presented in the following year, 1939, at the Berlin Auto Show and a special German postage stamp was issued depicting a happy family speeding along the autobahn in their KdF Wagen.
Two German toy companies at the time, Michael Seidel (SEIDEL) and Georg Brandstaetter (GEOBRA) produced special coin registering banks using tin stamped metal, a mechanical coin counter and special lithograph designs. The bank or spardose were available mainly for children that had special themes to encourage them to save money. Those children’s bank door would open up when the bank reached a certain money value and then the children could buy something special that they were saving for.
Well, think about it? How convenient would it be to have a such a coin bank count up coins to purchase a 5 Reichsmark stamp for the KdF Wagen Savers book? SEIDEL produced the first coin bank with a lithographed KdF Wagen design on the front and back panels of the bank, that would keep track of 5 and 10 Reichspfennig coin deposits into the bank (100 Reichspfennig = 1 Reichsmark). A 5 or 10 Reichspfennig coin was placed in the coin slot on top of the bank, a lever was then pushed forward and the coin fell into the bank, kerplunk! There was a small window on the bank indicating the Reichspfennig and Reichsmark amount of coins that had been deposited. When 5 Reichsmark were accumulated, hopefully within a week, the banks door blew open automatically and all the coins tumbled out. With the coins gathered together, a KdF Wagen Savers stamp could then be purchased. GEOBRA shortly after starting producing a coin registering bank with the KdF Wagen theme as well.
For additional information on the original SEIDEL and GEOBRA KdF Wagen Savers Banks, please refer to on this site using Misc(MS) Manufacturers (misc) and then select GEOBRA SPARDOSE SAVINGS BANK (3) and also SEIDEL SPARDOSE SAVINGS BANK (1).
Over the years, I have come across the SEIDEL and GEOBRA children saving banks that have been well played with, rusty, dented and in “need of repair.” The lithographed designs are all deteriorated and they basically are in a not collectable condition. I am happy to obtain these in “need of repair” banks at a reasonable cost (typically acquired from an online auction such as eBay) and turn them into a Fantasy KdF Wagen Savings Bank. I send them through my Restor-Version Shop where they will be repaired, painted and have custom made decal graphics using the KdF Wagen era theme. There were brochures, advertisement, and other documents, from that era, that were accessible to use to make the remastered or enhanced graphic themes for the banks. Just to note, I try to use the sides, edges, doors of the bank that is still in very good condition that can be cleaned up and used to give the bank a rustic look as you can see in some of the bank photos. I also sign my name and year created inside the bank as well. There is a listing on this site showing all the work and attention to details for converting a SEIDEL bank for the Fantasy KdF Wagen theme. Refer to on this site Restor-Version (RV) Manufacturers (restor-version) and then select SEIDEL RV(1)
Just to mention that I have a good friend, Rick Search, who is also very interested in the Fantasy KdF Wagen Savings Bank as well. Rick is the site facilitator for the Cabrio(CB) section as well. I have an agreement with Rick that if he acquires two of the children’s banks in need of repair, I will create both of the banks into a Fantasy KdF Wagen theme and when completed, he gets one bank and I get the other one. So far, 22 of the GEOBRA children’s banks and 15 of the SEIDEL children’s banks totaling 37 banks have been transformed into a Fantasy KdF Wagen Savings Bank through the Restor-Version Shop! I have uploaded to this site photos of the SEIDEL and GEOBRA Fantasy KdF Wagen Savings Bank in which there are 24 different bank designs to view.
