Pygg Jar

The Middle English term “pygg” referred to a type of orange clay. In the Middle Ages, people would often keep coins in jars, dishes, or pots made of pygg. They were simplistic in design and were called “pygg jars”. By the 18th century, the word "pygg" sounded like "pig".  Without banks, people saved their money in these jars and sometimes buried them in the yard or beneath the house.  The small hole in the top ensured you could not retrieve your money without breaking the jar or "breaking the bank".