This is a stock pinball machine token, made by
the Northwestern Stamp Works of St. Paul, Minn.,
in the 1930's and 1940's. The R in the center of the
token stands for George Roussopulous, the manag-
er of the company. These tokens were sold to estab-
lishments that didn't want to use custom made
tokens with their name, initials, or address, in their
payout pinball machines.
There are many varieties of this token. Most are
a little smaller than a nickel (20mm), typical of
most pinball machine tokens, and made of nickel-
plated brass. Ones in brass, lead, and copper-plated
brass also exist, as do 21mm-sized ones in nickel-
plated brass, nickel, lead and zinc. And there are
differences in the shape and style of the R, posi-
tioning of legends, ornaments, etc.
Northwestern Stamp Works supplied most of the
tokens used in payout pinball machines, minting
thousands of custom pinball tokens for merchants
and businesses that had pinball machines on their
premises.
They also made similar tokens for the manufac-
turers of the payout pinball machines, with their ini-
tial on the token. These have legends such as "Good
For One Free Game" or "One Free Game On
Pinball Machine." You can find these pinball tokens
with the following initials: B (for Buckley or
Bally), D (Daval), E (Evans), G (Gottlieb), G Inc.
(Genco), Jin a diamond (Jennings), K (Keeney), M
(Mills), P (Pace), S (Stoner), etc.
3) Obverse: Property of O.K. Vender
Reverse: Loaned for amusement only
The O.K Vender tokens are the common tokens
that refer directly to a particular type of slot
machine. But it is also a stock token because it
occurs in such great numbers and in hundreds of
varieties.
There are three main types of O.K. Vender
tokens. one type has the obverse legend in one line
around the central hole, with a single ornament at
the bottom (diamond or bowtie). These are brass
(some are zinc plated) and nickel or cent sized
(dime size ones are scarce).
The second and most common type has the
obverse legend in two lines, with an ornament at
each side (diamonds or stars). These are nickel size
(penny size ones are scarce) and brass (some nickel
or zinc plated).
The third type also has the obverse legend in two
lines, but the central part of the token is made of
iron and contains a large star or spokes-and-dots
ornament. The hole in the center is smaller. The
outer part of the token is brass, and the whole thing
is nickel plated (less commonly zinc or copper plat-
ed). Some were made entirely of lead, and without
a hole. The nickel size ones are common; the dime
and quarter sizes are scarce.
5) Obverse: a number
Reverse: Good for 5¢ in trade
Numbered slot machine tokens are very com-
mon, but what the numbers mean is still somewhat
of a mystery. They could be serial numbers of slot
machines, or numbers to represent particular opera-
tors. There are tokens with thousands of different
numbers. The numbers to from 00 apparently con-
tinuously through about 32000, and then very
4) Obverse: This token awarded for skill, R
(in circle in center)
Reverse: This token has no cash or trade value, R
(in circle in center)
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