BECAUSE METAL WAS EXPENSIVE IN THE MIDDLE AGES, PEOPLE COMMONLY STORED THEIR VALUABLES IN POTS MADE FROM ORANGE-COLORED clay CALLED “PYGG”. OVER THE NEXT CENTURIES, THE WORD FOR THE CLAY POTS CAME TO BE PRONOUNCED THE SAME AS THE ENGLISH WORD FOR “PIG”, THE ANIMAL THAT LIKES TO ROLL AROUND IN PYGG MUD.

THE FIRST KNOWN PIGGY BANKS DATE BACK TO THE 14TH CENTURY, ORIGINATING FROM JAVA. IN THE 19TH CENTURY ENGLISH POTTERS STARTED PRODUCING THE PINK PIGGY BANKS, LOVED BY YOUNG & OLD AND SYMBOLIZING FINANCIAL LITERACY. BECAUSE ONE HAD TO ‘BREAK THE BANK’ TO COLLECT VALUABLES, UNBROKEN JAVANESE PIGGY BANKS ARE VERY RARE.