Money box used by Bishop Richard Allen
date: label: Date
content: early 19th century
name: label: Created by
content: Unidentified
label: Owned by
content: The Right Reverend Richard Allen, American, 1760 - 1831
label: Owned by
content: Benjamin Tucker Tanner, American, 1835 - 1923
label: Subject of
content: African Methodist Episcopal Church, American, founded 1816
notes: label: Description
content: Money box that belonged to the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, Bishop Richard Allen. The rectangular box is flat on all sides with a flat bottom. It has a slightly domed top with a horizontal 1 7/8" slot in the center. The brass handle on the top is joined to the box by flat circular disks on either side of the slot. The top of the box is a hinged lid, attached in the back with two hinges. The box is constructed of wood and covered in dark, reddish-brown leather. There is a metal locking mechanism nailed to the front of the box, with a hinged piece that fits into a slot on the lock attached to the center front of the lid. Brass nails with circular heads are lined along the edges of the lid and front and back edges. Smaller brass nails surround the bottom edge of the box and side panels. There is a rectangular piece of off-white, discolored paper adhered to the center of the bottom of the box. Handwritten text in black ink on the paper reads [(illegible) / Rev. C. M.(?) Tanner D.D.(?) / 1 Dec. 1906 / Phila. / The Money Box of Richard Allen]. The inside of the box appears to have been lined with paper, with remnants visible on all inside surfaces. The inside of the lid and back edge contain the most complete pieces. The paper is white with a red circular repeating design.
place: label: Place used
content: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: African Methodist Episcopal
label: Topic
content: Methodist
label: Topic
content: Religion
label: Topic
content: The Black Church
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
label: Exhibition
content: Slavery and Freedom
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of the Bishop Frederick and Mrs. Artishia Jordan Scholarship Fund
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2013.56.1
objectType: label: Type
content: boxes (containers)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: wood, iron, brass (alloy), leather and paper (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 4 3/4 x 9 3/4 x 5 1/2 in. (12.1 x 24.8 x 14 cm)