ASSISTANCE SOUGHT IN IDENTIFYING TOKEN ISSUERS

I am putting the finishing touches on several books, some started years ago. With the help of Dave Schenkman I am doing the second edition of Put Another Token In, the first of which was a an award-winning book years ago in 1975, published by the Token and Medal Society (which is set to do the new book as well).

Described are several hundred varieties of tokens once used in coin-operated pianos. Put a nickel in the slot, and the patron was rewarded with a snappy two-minute tune. From the late 19th century into the 1920s thousands of such pianos were popular in taverns, hotels, amusement parks, bordellos, and other places of public entertainment. These tokens are nickel-size, usually in brass or nickel alloy, typically say GOOD FOR ONE TUNE, GOOD IN THE PIANO, or a similar musical phrase.

A music token that can be identified as to issuer and location. Some others remain mysterious.

I and Dave Schenkman have tracked down the location of most token issuers, but the following have eluded us (the numbers such as B-120 are the catalog numbers for cross-reference. It would seem that such issuers as Beck & Stener and Mayberry & Boyer probably advertised somewhere or were otherwise listed, and can be found today. Other names such as Carl’s Place, Empress Café, and Geo. Weaver may be forever unattributable, although those that have street names might be able to be traced.

A Seeburg coin-operated piano.

If you have any information on any of these, let me know what you have. If you can send me to advertisements or listings, so much the better! I will answer all e-mails. Thank you for your interest!

B & H Music Co. • B-230: Be [unknown]mann (Cincinnati, OH) • B-350: Beck & Stener • B-380: Ernie Bennett • B-470: The Big Onion • B-490: Bitz’s Café • B-500: Al. Blase [6th & 7th, Washington] • B-670: Brown’s Shining Parlor • B-780: The Buffalo

C-450: Carl’s Place • C-500: Carres Bros. • C-550: C.C.G. (Omaha, NE?) • C-820: C.J. Connell • C-850: Corner Café • C-855: Corner 151 Café • C-890: Cozy Corner Bar

D-130: Daugherty Bros. • D-350: Chas. De Cook • D-400: Dixie Music Co.

E-570: Empress Café [12th & Jackson]

F-250: W.C. Fear • F-400: Fico Bros. • F-480: Fitzpatrick PA 9618 [may be the number of a lodge in Pennsylvania?]

G-310: Geo. & Joe’s Place

H-150: H. & J. Place • H-270: P.J. Hartigan • H-500: Hinkee Dee Club • H-680: Hoyt & Duffey

J--250: Jackson St. Drug Store

K-300: H.L. Kelley Piano Inc. • K-440: Charles Kennedy’s • K-800: Kuhlmann’s Café

M-200: Malconta Club / C.V. Alderman • M-300: Manhattan Café • M-320: Manhattan Pool Room • M-360: H.E. Mann Studios [token made by the Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Co.] • M-475: Marshall Music Co. • M-520: Mayberry and Boyer Saloon • M-540: Maynard’s Piano Orchestra [2004-2020 Market St.]• M-580: Chas. McGarvey • M-590: McKenzie’s Amusement Parlors • M-600: McNabb’s • M-680: Meile Bros. Café • M-730• E.T. Messinger • M-740: Metz & Weber • M-860: The Monogram / J.B.

N-620: Norton Pharmacy Inc.

O-600: Jos. H. Osterfeld

P-140: P. & H. Music Co. • P-300: Palm Garden • P-390: Patty’s Place • P-840: Puss & Davis

R-150: H.C. Ragland Café • R-280: W.H. Reed Café [347 15th Ave.] • R-500: Lee Richardson • R-550: Rilobon • R-660: Ross Ave. House, James Potter, Prop. • R-690: Wm. J. Ross Café [2901 Eastern Ave.] • R-720: Mrs. Rouse (SW corner Water & Plum] • R-760: Royal Music Hall • R-840: Ada Russel

S-260: A. Schultes • S-380: Soll R. Scott • S-510: Shawnee Drug Co. [12 West Main St.] • S-720: Smoke House • S-780: W.E. Spencer [20 West 9th St.]

T-160: J.D. Taylor Cigar Store • T-300: John Thieman Café • T-310: John Thieman Café • T-430: Tivoli Machine Co. [207 2nd Ave South]

W-440: W.E.& S. Co. • W-480: Geo. Weaver • W-500: C. Webber • W-530: Ben Weber [Clifton Ave. & Calhoun St.] • W-530: Weber Music Co. • W-540: Weber’s Café [SE corner 4th & John] • W-680: Western Sales Corp’n • W- 740: A.C. Wilson [Watertown] • W-750: J.L. Wilson

Z-420: P. Zeisler [8th & Linn]

Please send information to: Dave Bowers, qdbarchive@metrocast.net

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