'Fabulously rare' Mickey Mouse moneybox taken to valuation day in Beverley could fetch £10,000

The mechanical marvel is a fabulously rare early piece of Disney memorabilia that was made for just a very brief period in the early 1930s by Saalheimer and Strauss of Nuremberg.

It was taken into the David Duggleby Beverley office by a member of the family of Victor Swain, who as a film-loving small boy was thrilled to receive the present and would treasure it until his death at the age of 97 two years ago.

Duggleby toy specialist Graham Paddison said: “Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1928, introducing him to the world in Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon film to have synchronised music and sound. It was a huge hit and Mickey became an international star overnight.”

“Saalheimer and Strauss were making a range of tinplate moneyboxes at the time and they secured permission to use Mickey Mouse. They actually created four variations of this moneybox, with slight differences in the Mickey figure.

“None of them were produced in large numbers before the firm was sold in 1936. They are all incredibly rare. This is the first I’ve seen in my entire career.”

The moneybox, one of the lots at a toy auction at the Vine Street Saleroom in Scarborough on Friday December 3, is in full working order - Mr Swain apparently kept it on a high shelf out of the reach of children.

A motto on the back explains how it works: "If you only pull my ear, You will see my tongue appear., Place a coin upon my tongue, Save your money while you’re young."

Similar ones have fetched from the $8,000 (£6,000) up to $35,670 (£26,771), a price recorded in Denver last March.

The auction will be webcast with online bidding through DD Live and thesaleroom.com.