Pinching Pennies

 Greetings family, friends, neighbors and Disney buddies! Today we take a brief look into the backstory of Disney's pressed penny collectables.....Bill 

 Disney Snippets 

PINCHING PENNIES 

Visitors to the Chicago’s 1893 Columbian Exposition, celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus voyage, had the unique opportunity to witness innovative ideas and sample new products. Wrigley’s Gum, Cracker Jacks and Shredded Wheat were among the new products introduced to eager attendees, however it was a coin elongation machine that was getting much of the attention. A what?? Elongated (squished) coins (exonumia) were familiar mostly to numismatists (collectors of oddball coins), but the operator of a modified jewelers mill was getting plenty of attention flattening and imprinting pennies for thousand’s of exposition attendees who were more than willing to hand over a penny and pay a nickel for a souvenir 1893 Columbian Exposition elongated coin. 

Several manufacturers produced penny presses in succeeding years but it wasn’t until 1932 that tourist locations and amusement organizations began installing the money making hand cranked machines. The low maintenance devices took up little space, didn’t require electricity or costly staffing and promised “unlimited passive income” getting Disney’s attention. 

The first two machines installed in Disneyland were in front of the Penny Arcade (duh!) in 1987. With a reputation for pricey souvenirs, the public’s response to a $1.01 Disneyland pressed penny (four quarters plus the 

customers penny) was an overwhelming success and quickly became a desirable park collectable. Quick to respond, Disney installed more than two dozen customized machines with hundreds of changeable designs and payment options. Masters of creative “up selling” Disney began offering an array of storage albums, books, machine location maps, and unsatisfied with a $1.00 transaction has introduced $5.00 souvenir collector medallions. Nearly five hundred coin elongation machines with twenty five hundred design options are now located in Disney parks, hotels and attractions throughout the world creating a whole new generation of exonumia numismatists. 

I can remember when the way to flatten a penny was to put it on the train tracks! 

-Bill 1/25