History

Since the invention of Heron's (10–70A.D.) coin-operated holy-water dispenser, coin-operated machines have evolved in fascinating ways for vending, gambling and amusement.  It wasn't until the late 19th century, however, that the era of mechanical coin-operated mechanisms and machines started to blossom.  Throughout the early 20th century some amazingly creative and intricate machines were developed for the purpose of separating spare coins from their owners.  America played a central role in this development, particularly in the areas of pinball, arcade machines, slot machines, and other gambling machines.  In particular, the Great Depression helped shape the evolution of coin-operated games.  People had an abundance of free time and not much money—and entrepreneurs soon discovered that people would pay a penny to fill their idle time with a bit of fun and amusement.  Coin slides were added to what had previously been simple bagatelle pin games, and coin-operated pinball was born.

The term "coin-operated machines" covers a wide spectrum of devices. This site is mainly devoted to American coin-operated arcade and pinball games from the 1930s to 1960s, and slot machines and trade stimulators from the 1920s to 1950s, but will also include some information on other interesting coin-operated machines.  While the machines themselves are intriguing enough, the history behind them is a big part of the picture and historical information will be included.

This site is a work-in-progress and will be constantly updated.  Please send me your comments and suggestions.