Castle Coin Bank (#852231)
Reviewed March 11, 2009.
# of pieces: ?# of minifigs: 1
Pros: Working "piggy" bank,
fun concept.
Cons: A little tricky to build (uses some TECHNIC parts), mostly made of plastic-coated cardboard.
Full Review: This set builds a coin bank in the style of antique mechanical coin banks. You place a coin on the top front of the box, then turn the dial on either side, and a dragon's head comes out, grabs the coin with its teeth, and drags the coin down into the dungeon. It really works!
Fair warning, though, the set is mostly made of plastic-coated cardboard, but it's of a high quality with glossy pictures on it. There's actually a fair number of pieces, and the set uses TECHNIC pieces for the mechanism. Parents or older siblings may need to help young children assemble this set.
One suggestion I have for the designers is to add a clearly-marked spot so you know where to place the coin. A round depression, a picture of a coin or even an "X" marking the spot would help.
The set also comes with a skeleton minifigure to play with or just use as a decoration. The bank has a sliding drawer to hold the coins, and a quality metal lock (just don't lose your keys!)
Please see our photos below.
Here is a side shot of the coin bank. Looks harmless enough, right? Although those chains leading down to a trap door look kind of ominous . . .
Then you turn the the wheel and out pops the hungry dragon!
Greedy Dragon: Mmmmm! More treasure for my hoard!
Greedy Dragon: I'll just drag this coin down into the dungeon . . . watch your fingers!