Vintage Bee Bee Biscuits “Tower Assorted” Advertising Tin Money Box

Vintage Bee Bee Biscuits “Tower Assorted” Advertising Tin Money Box

Bee Bee Biscuits Ltd, Blackpool | Circa 1920s–1930s

Suggested price: £32.00

7 cm square

A wonderfully characterful survivor from Blackpool’s biscuit-making past, this small square tin was originally produced for Bee Bee Biscuits Ltd and advertised the company’s “Tower Assorted” biscuits. Rather cleverly, the removable lid was made with a coin slot, allowing the empty biscuit container to enjoy a second life as a child’s savings box.

The printed decoration is particularly evocative. Rich red, black and green panels feature the ornate Bee Bee Biscuits name surrounded by flowering branches and busy bees. One side carries the appealing period slogan:

“Best Biscuit at the Lowest Price.”

Although now heavily timeworn, the lettering and much of the original imagery remain visible. The considerable surface ageing, fading, oxidation and general wear give the tin an authentic, untouched appearance that will appeal to collectors of early advertising, biscuit tins, money boxes and Blackpool social history.

Maker history

Bee Bee Biscuits began in Blackpool in 1922, originally trading as the Blackpool Biscuit Company. Its early specialities reportedly included brandy snaps and Shrewsbury biscuits sold locally. The business expanded rapidly, moving to larger premises and employing travelling salesmen by 1924.

Land for a new factory on Devonshire Road was acquired in 1932, with production transferring there during the mid-1930s. Bee Bee was also among the early British biscuit companies to embrace individually packaged biscuits at a time when many varieties were still sold loose from large shop tins.

J. Lyons & Co. acquired a controlling interest in the company in 1938. The business later traded as Symbol Biscuits and became associated with several familiar British biscuit brands, including Maryland Cookies.

Comparable Bee Bee sample tins and savings boxes are generally dated to the 1920s or 1930s, and other examples are known bearing such biscuit names as Marie, Digestive and San-Toy. The actual manufacturer of the tin itself is not identified, so it is safest to describe it as produced for Bee Bee Biscuits Ltd rather than made by the biscuit company.

Condition

This is a genuinely timeworn example showing extensive oxidation, surface rust, fading, scratches, marks and losses to the printed finish. The lid is removable and shows some distortion and unevenness around the edges. The interior is darkened and aged. There is no key or locking mechanism; access is gained by lifting off the lid.

Its worn condition is an important part of its history, but it should be purchased as a decorative and collectable advertising piece rather than for food storage.

Price guidance

Better-preserved Bee Bee money-box tins are currently being offered at approximately £35 to more than £60, although advertised prices do not necessarily represent completed sales.

Because this example has substantial corrosion and fading but retains its lid, coin slot and recognisable advertising, I would list it at £32, with a realistic selling range of around £25–£30. It is a smashing little piece of Blackpool commercial history—the sort of tin whose wear has become part of the story rather than merely a fault.