American Penny Scales 1891 – 1991

Christopher K. Steele Collection

Fresh Topic

Many Americans are familiar with antique coin-operated jukeboxes, gumball,

candy and pop machines, but very few are aware of the extraordinary

accomplishments of the American penny scale industry.

Once corner landmarks, American penny scales stood watch like sentries across

the American landscape reminding everyone to watch their weight and keep

healthy. Pitched as trade stimulators and known as silent salesmen, these “robots of

trade” evoke nostalgia for simpler, healthier times and have all but vanished.

Pitched as trade stimulators; known as silent salesmen, real ingenuity was required

to coax a passer-by onto a scale. Colorful designs, mirrors, horoscopes, games of

chance, and other clever gimmicks were used to encourage all to watch their

weight and stay healthy.

Scales turned “pennies into gold.”

In their peek years, 70 times the population weighed themselves annually by

dropping over 10 billion pennies, or over $100 million dollars into penny scales.

This is equivalent to $1.5 billion today. The colorful designs, intricate

mechanisms, and fine craftsmanship stand tribute to the remarkable

accomplishments of America's first vending service.

Nick Farr with 275 lbs. of pennies collected in bags = $396 from the scales in this

park, circa.1937. ($5,744 in today’s dollars)

The designers and manufacturers of these impressive cultural artifacts required

innovative engineering. They were masters of materials, including cast iron, wood,

porcelain enamel, etched glass, mirrors, chrome, brass, nickel plate, sheet metal,

and on rare occasions, plastic.

Penny scales weave their way through the entire history of automatic vending.

They represent America’s first vending service, a designation earned at the dawn

of the vending machine era simply because these magnificent mechanical wonders

did not issue products.

It wasn’t long however, before the scale designers and engineers added

enticements such as tickets with pictures of Hollywood movie stars, cards and

scrolls with horoscopes and even gum and candy to increase profits.

Unlike the product-less scales that defied inflation the first 60 years in service,

these scales had to contend with the cost of paper, printing etc. While these added

gimmicks and features shortened the profitability for the vendor, they made these

pieces more valuable to the collector.

Dozen scales worthy of note; in no particular order:

American Penny Scales

1891 - 1991

Christopher K. Steele Collection

Aristocrat De Luxe manufactured by Peerless Weighing and Vending of Detroit

circa 1920s. In my opinion the quintessential scale and the machine that set off a

voice in my head to “ Buy All You Can”

Mr. Peanut Scale 1951 - Only 65 of him were made. He was made by Hamilton

Scale Company of Toledo Ohio. His glorious patina is intact. His nose is worn

bare by good luck seekers rubbing his nose.

RC Cola Scale 1949 - First of the novelty scales by Hamilton Scale Company of

Toledo Ohio.

Peerless Ticket Scales come on the scene in early 1920s to provide a private weigh

by stamping weights and dates on the back of Hollywood movie star pictures.

People stood in line to use these machines. The cost of the ticket, made these

scales vulnerable to inflation.

The Colonial Fair- Weigh Golf Scale”

Mechanism patent 1928. This highly rare scale gives a free “Fair~Weigh”if you

can hit the penny over the lake and in the hole. It is a classic penny arcade scale.

The “Watling Horoscope Scale”

This scale offers 10 entirely different cards under each birth sign on subjects such

as: Love, Nature, Temperament, Health, Marriage, Home, Money, Business, etc.

A “one-arm bandit type lever” is pulled to chop off the tickets.

The “Vend R Scale”, circa 1967,

measures height for free. However, the only way to get weighed is to purchase

candy from one of 2 Victor “88” candy machines integrated in the scale design.

Mills Trylon, Mills Novelty Company.

Official scale of the 1939 World’s Fair;

and a magnificent example of the streamlined design of the deco period.

Washington Scale by Caille Brothers Detroit, circa 1903-1913

Features wooden cabinet and a beautiful 12 point lithograph on tin of George

Washington’s face making it the scale with the best dial in the collection.

Toledo 8300T, Official Athletic Scale. Mfg. Toledo Scale Company - 1916

This classic white porcelain scale had an extremely intricate mechanism.

Consequently it was very expensive for vendors to buy. One of the unique features

is it could be operated by a penny, a nickel, a dime or a quarter.

5 Cent “Talking Scale” patented 1903

This scale employed a sound recording and the first to offer a nickel-drop

gambling device with a weighing device. It is the only one believed to exist.

It audibly broadcasted the weight for all within earshot. A phonograph record was

used to deliver the numbers in pounds. Each groove on the record had a number

recorded on it and a needle mechanically connected to the platform of the scale

would find the right groove and play the weight out loud. My friends at the

Smithsonian once told me they thought this could be the advent of the modern

computer. This preceded the compact disc by 50 years. Experiencing this new

technology cost as much as 2 loaves of bread at the time.

Peerless Mirror De Luxe circa 1920

This scale is over 6 feet tall and completely covered on 3 sides with beveled

mirrors. The base is white porcelain enamel with ceramic tile on the platform.

A Public Weigh

To Fight the National Obesity Epidemic

Historically, penny scales were a positive force for health and happiness.

Previous generations monitored their weight publicly with penny scales.

The only other alternative for the masses until the mid 20th century was a visit to

the doctor’s office.

With the tremendous concern over the national trend toward obesity, especially in

children, now is the perfect time to look back at the extent this industry went to,

throughout the twentieth century, in keeping us healthy.

My dream is to find a benefactor to gift the collection to Strong National Museum

of Play so these icons of fitness can be placed back in the public eye. There the

millions of people that once relied on their service in the past can see them in

service once again, this time to help fight the national obesity epidemic and

perhaps spark a return of the public weigh, a century long tradition.

This highly unique national treasure eloquently chronicles 100 years of American

ingenuity and industrial design. It offers the perfect hook for bringing people to the

discussion of the importance of maintaining healthy weight.

I am an advocate for the return of the public weigh.

I have a new computer operated weighing machine in the works that would appeal

to kids. I would like to see one in every school with the proceeds going to after

school activities.

The Scales Drawing Power … Test run highly successful.

This collection could attract families to an exhibit that could help educate people

on the importance of obtaining and maintaining healthy weight.

The trial run for The American Weigh exhibit took place February, 2010 in a well

known test market. It was highly successful. Over 5 times the usual traffic was

recorded at the door, setting an all-time attendance record during the snowiest

February in Columbus Ohio in 100 years. 20 pages of positive comments were

written by the many visitors during the 23 days the show was open.

55 American coin-operated weighing machines spanning 100 years took the visitor

from the cast iron work-horses of the 1890s through the colorful deco period up to

and including the rarest mechanism free computer scale of 1991.

Many illustrative pieces from the collection’s ephemera archive added depth

humor and color to the American Weigh exhibition. This was the first

comprehensive exhibition of its kind to celebrate the history of the public weigh.

The unusually fine condition of the scales in the exhibit stands tribute to the

industry that manufactured them and the mores of the era that respected them.