I looked at The Oxford English Dictionary. It definitely goes down the
earthenware road.
The first allusion to the modern meaning (though not the phrase) is as
recent as 1913.
The complete phrase 'piggy bank' does not occur before 1939, according
to the OED.
Here are some useful extracts from the OED, that show the passage from
pig, through piggy, to piggy bank.
Of course, there are mistakes even in the OED.
Richard Wright
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Pig n.2
1. a. A pot, pitcher, jar, or other vessel, usually made of earthenware.
Earliest citation:
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 340 Euerilk day..was broght vnto hym
a lofe of bread and a pygg with wyne.
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Piggy
A small earthenware pot or pig (cf. Pig n.2)
Earliest citation:
1711 Ulster Jrnl. Archaeol. 4 117 Pour it on a clean piggie or plate,
then scum it, and boill it for your use.
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Piggy bank
A money box, esp. one shaped like a pig.
Formerly, piggy banks were often made of earthenware with a slot for
inserting coins, and had to be smashed in order to retrieve the savings
inside.
Earliest citations:
1913 Kresge's Katalog 5 ¢ & 10 ¢ Merchandise (S. S. Kresge & Co.) 93/3
Pig Savings Bank 10c.
1939 Long Beach (Calif.) Independent 16 Feb. 6 (advt.) Put the pennies
saved into a piggy bank.
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