Gallery

Commissioned Moneyboxes
Tetley GB Ltd.
Tetley GB Ltd. and Wade have been working together for years to bring collectors the wonderful Tea Folk collection. This partnership still continues today.

Originally created in 1973, the first character to make an appearance in the collection was the Gaffer. The Gaffer is the star of the bunch and is a perfectionist. After all, he makes the world's best cup of tea!

Sydney is a kind fellow and is not the cleverest one. He gets himself into trouble often but is loved by all the Tea Folk characters.

Gordon maintains the Tetley Tea Garden. He is quiet and dependable. He even cultivated the Tetley Tea Rose.

Maurice is the inventor and keeps Tetley Tea on the cutting edge of technology. He is a quiet, unpredictable and eccentric.

Archie, the Gaffer's nephew, is the youngest of the Tea Folk and still attends school. His is very inquisitive and mischievous. Some day, he will take over for the Gaffer and continue to make the worlds' best tea.

Tetley removed the Tea Folk from advertising in 2001 in order to appeal to a younger audience. For many this meant that the Tea Folk collection died but Wade has continued to keep the characters alive with their Tetley License.

One of the largest ranges produced in the Tetley Tea line is the Wade money boxes. See how Wade has used these characters to continue to bring the Tea Folk characters to the world.

In 1990, the first Wade money boxes appeared when Tetley GB Ltd. commissioned Wade to produce two van moneyboxes that covered their two most popular brands - Lyons Coffee and Tetley.

Lyon's Coffee Delivery Van License Plate "COF E1" Issued 1990 LE 5,000	Tetley TeaDelivery Van License Plate "TEA 1" Issued 1990 LE 5,000

The 1990's saw the first appearances of the Tetley Tea Folk characters which have been the theme of many of the Wade money boxes.

Brew Gaffer Issued 1992 LE 10,000	Brew Gaffer with Tea Issued 1999	Sydney Holding Tea Bag Issued 1999
	Time for Tea Issued 1999

In 2003, Tetley celebrated 50 years of the tea bag with a special edition of the Sydney Holding Tea Bag money box with gold details. The teabag has a gold decal that reads "Celebrating 50 years of the Tea Bag."

Sydney Holding Tea Bag 50 Years Issued 2003 LE 500

In 1999, another van money box to be issued. This van featured the Gaffer and his nephew Archie. This is the first money box that showed the Tea Folk in various modes of transportation. In 2009, Wade produced another run of the Archie and Gordon Motorbike and also the Morris Minor car. The motorbike piece has no eye decals, Archie in different colored close and a Tetley Decal on the back of the piece. The Morris Minor Car has the Gaffer now made of ceramic where he was originally resin and the decals are in different places on the piece.

Brew Gaffer and Nephew Archie Delivery Van License Plate "TEA 1" Issued 1999	Chocks Away Aeroplane (Gaffer) Issued 2002	The Flying Teabag (Maurice) Issued 2004
Archie and Gordon Motorbike Issued 2005 (Backstamp 2004)	Archie and Gordon Motorbike Issued 2009 (Backstamp 2007)	Morris Minor Car (Gaffer) Issued 2009 (Backstamp 2007)
	Gold Detail Sidney Elephant Train Issued 2009 (Backstamp 2007)	Gold Detail Maurice Elephant Train Issued 2009
Gaffer Bus Issued 2010

For a number of years, the Wade shows, held either in the UK, have had a rare colorway of a Tetley Tea money box as the show special. Each of these moneyboxes came with a certificate of authenticity. The backstamp on the Elephant Train pieces have 2007 on them even though they were produced in 2009. At the July 2009 Arundel show, one of the bran draw prizes was a one-of-a-kind Gaffer Elephant Train. The elephant was produced in pink and had blue and yellow bags.

Gold Detail Brew Gaffer and Nephew Archie Delivery Van License Plate "TEA 02" Issued 2002 LE 50	Gold Detail Chocks Away Aeroplane Issued 2004 (Backstamp 2002) LE 50	Gold Detail The Flying Teabag Issued 2004 LE 100
Gold Detail Archie and Gordon Motorbike Issued 2005 (Backstamp 2004) LE 50	Gold and Platnium Detal Morris Minor Car Wade and Northlight @ Wade Issued 2006 LE 50	Gold Detail Time for Tea Issued 2007 LE 75
Gold Detail Gaffer Elephant Train Issued April 2009 (Backstamp 2007) LE 75	Gold Detail Sidney Elephant Train Issued July 2009 (Backstamp 2007) LE 75	Gold Detail Maurice Elephant Train Issued 2009 (Backstamp 2007) LE 75
Gold Detail Gaffer Bus Issued April 2010 LE 75

In 2006, Wade purchased the Northlight Company which produced porcelain resin pieces. Tetley was able to have produced a money box which combined the skills of both Wade Ceramics and the new Northlight @ Wade. This piece featured a porcelain car driven by a resin Gaffer.

Morris Minor Car (Gaffer) License Plate "TETLEY 1" Issued 2006