A customer recently bought a vintage coin-operated weight scale at a flea market. The scale is the kind that was found inside and outside stores back in the 1920s and 1930s. About 750,000 scales were produced and it is said that even in the Great Depression people still had a penny to weigh themselves.1 Like most of these vintage scales, our customer’s scale weighed about 250 pounds and stood about 4 ft. tall, so it wasn’t an easy item to move around.
Like many vintage coin-op scales, this scale and the key to its coin box had parted ways years ago, leaving a lot of vintage coins sealed for years in the inaccessible coin box. Our customer was afraid to break into the coin box because he wanted to preserve the vintage look of his scale as much as possible.
That’s when a locksmith can be a valuable asset, opening the coin box with minimal damage to the unit.
Locksmith Skills
There are thousands of vintage coin-operated machines in homes, antique shops and at flea markets across the country. They range from scales to pinball machines, to slot machines, to banks, to kiddie rides to dart boards and jukeboxes, which were commonly found in bars and restaurants back in the day.
While locksmiths can’t guarantee that they can open every coin-operated machine with no damage to the machine, a locksmith is your best bet for preserving as much of the authentic look of the machine as possible.
This is because, as with any professional, locksmiths have training, tools and experience which enables them to work on these precious collectibles with much more precision and much better results than someone who might be attempting to break into a locked coin box for the first time.
It is a good idea to let the locksmith know ahead of time what item you want unlocked, as some locksmiths may not wish to service a valuable collectible or may have to charge extra because of the amount of time required to carefully open the item.
Not Just Door Locks
You might be surprised to know that locksmiths are also called by clients to open bike locks, where keys have been lost or combinations forgotten over time. Another common item that locksmiths are called to open are suitcases. On the commercial side, locksmiths often open coin operated laundry appliances.
Basically, anything that is locked, including safes, vehicles and doors, can be opened by a professional locksmith.2 In most cases, unlike with antiques, these locks can be opened without breaking the lock.
If you want to know if your coin-operated machine contains a valuable coin it may be worth the investment in a locksmith to open the locked coin box. If you find one of the only 852,500 Indian Head pennies from 1877 it could be worth anywhere from $500 to $1500 depending on the condition. If you are even luckier, you might find a 1943-S copper cent.
One sold at auction in 2012 for a cool million dollars.3 Even if you don’t find a fortune in rare coins in your coin-operated machine at least you will be able to stop wondering if your coin-op machine will someday make you rich!
A Need for Locksmiths
Professional locksmith services are always in need. They offer an array of services from re-keying locks, door installation and camera systems to commercial door closers and of course, emergency lockout services that are always available. Action Locksmith in Michigan can help with all this and more. In need of a locksmith? Call us, we are here to help!
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1 History of Coin Operated Scales
Link: http://www.gameroomantiques.com/RmBScales.htm
3 The Top 25 Most Valuable U.S. Pennies by Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez
Link: https://coinvalues.com/25-most-valuable-us-pennies