General Discussion

You just made a smallish pinch pot with a narrow opening so no one could easily remove any of the contents, and tossed it in the fireplace to harden. Lots of times, there would be a marking scratched in to note whose pot it was.
Then you could "bank" savings or a maybe set aside for a dowery whenever you had a spare coin or two to toss in.

You'd "break the bank" when you needed money, then make a new one for any left over.

The Victorians were the ones to turn them too cute to break, until it was time for a kid to leave home for university or a job or marriage.