Any Thoughts - Penny 1 Cent Hearts 39 MM Aluminum (Id: Mid-20th Century Penny Hearts Arcade Token)

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Author	Replies: 8 / Views: 774
po_bob Valued Member United States 63 Posts	Posted 12/22/2023 8:08 pm Anybody know what this might be? I've had it for a while. Based on items it was found with I think its old - aluminum came into use around 1870, I believe. There was a vague hint of an Arkansas origin, not enough to restrict any ideas of your own. Efforts to search online complicated by ever-multiplying hearts on items aimed at the preposterously romantic and the ridiculously sentimental. The reverse reads "GOOD FOR MERCHANDISE ONLY" but I used up my three free ones trying to get the fancy pants new optimizer to work. Report this Post to the Staff

HondoB Bedrock of the Community United States 24939 Posts	Posted 12/22/2023 8:33 pm po bob, it's not on tokencatalog and a Google lens search turned up nothing. Unless someone comes up with an ID, it may remain an unknown maverick. Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures Report this Post to the Staff
Spence Moderator United States 34395 Posts	Posted 12/22/2023 8:54 pm I'll do some searching too, but the use of the word "hearts" seems odd to me. Any idea what the meaning would have been in this context? "If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb "The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz Report this Post to the Staff
po_bob Valued Member United States 63 Posts	Posted 12/22/2023 9:14 pm I've always thought it likely to have been Mr. Heart's Mercantile. If its not a business name I just do not know. Report this Post to the Staff
IndianGoldEagle Bedrock of the Community United States 36558 Posts	Posted 12/23/2023 11:52 am 39mm seems large for a Penny. Could this be British? Report this Post to the Staff
po_bob Valued Member United States 63 Posts	Posted 12/23/2023 1:40 pm I can't rule anything out. Parts of the Empire did use cents, I think. But it was among a lot of forty or so tokens, all aluminum or white metal, and so far as I recall all US. The large size for the small denomination makes me think it has to be really old. And "FOR MERCHANDISE ONLY" - what else could have been on offer? Some sort of services? Report this Post to the Staff
Brummagem Valued Member United States 128 Posts	Posted 12/24/2023 5:08 pm There is a "Penni-Hearts" token for an arcade game. It is explained in this article below (though I'm still not sure I clearly understand it :)) Maybe your token was made for a version of this game--? Report this Post to the Staff
Brummagem Valued Member United States 128 Posts	Posted 12/24/2023 11:48 pm I came back to this tonight and I feel more confident that this toke is related to playing the Penny Hearts game in some arcade. This newspaper image (from the Sep 3, 1933 Spokane, WA Spokesman-Review) shows the "Penni-Hearts" game on Coney Island which seems to have started the fad. Outside of Coney Island it seems to have taken on the name Penny Hearts. The second ad is from Billboard magazine, Oct 7 1950. Report this Post to the Staff
po_bob Valued Member United States 63 Posts	Posted 12/25/2023 12:03 am Really phenomenal research Brummagem. I believe you've cracked the case. My thanks to all who replied and to those who meditated upon the question. The collective wisdom to be mined on this forum always amazes. Merry Christmas! Report this Post to the Staff
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