Speaking of coin tangents and weird exonumia....

[James_OldeTowne]

...what in the world this eBay thing?

[rrantique]

Darn the coins are missing.

[cpm9ball]

James, you're showing your youth. Punch cards have been around a long, long time. The way it works is, you pay so much money for each punch and if your number is listed as a winner, you get paid or win a prize. During the Depression, people would opt for the 1c or cards, sometimes "buying" from 1-10 punches. As the years went by, the options went even higher in cost and you could "buy" punch cards that costed anywhere from $1-$5 per punch. There have been a lot of variations to these games over the years, and they are much like the numbers rackets. The vast majority never won.

 

Chris

[WoodenJefferson]

The "key" is used to puch out the rolled up numbers in the beehive of the punch board. Unroll your punched out numbers and compare with the winning numbers and you just might get lucky. Of course, these were used in a time when large denomination coins were still in circulation. The punch card seller would load the game with various silver denominations and then sell chances like at local taverns where it was usually kept under the bar. But, on occasions I did see them lined up along a wooden stand at a "Fireman's Picnic" in the early 50's. Course that was for charity and the law looked the other way...you know, "home town cops" drinking beer while in uniform under the beer tent. This is when the police still had the single "bubble gum" red light on top of the Ford with the spot light that had the handle coming through the door. Not that I'd know how the inside of one of them old timey squad cars would look like...but???

 

Brings back many memories James, fond memories.

[James_OldeTowne]

I'll be darned if I don't learn something new all the time! Thanks for the info, guys!!!!!!!

 

I love this place !