Elongated coin

The first elongated coins in the United States were created at the World's Columbian Exposition, held in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois.

[4] While many private rollers still operate (notables include Raymond W. Dillard, Tyler D. Tyson, Brad Ream, and Don Adams), the vast introduction of commercial stand alone elongated machines came into the marketplace in 1988, following the introduction of the coin-operated penny press machine 1971,[7] decreased the demand for private issues.

This class of elongated coin machines were designed and built by Randy and Earl Vaughn from Dayton, Ohio, in 1988.

These mechanical coin-operated machines are still prominent in amusement parks such as Disney resorts[8][9] and attractions throughout the United States, and the world.

[10] The first known coin-operated stand-alone automated coin rolling vendor was designed by Vance Fowler and his Cimeter Group offering a "I Love Oregon" pressed penny which was placed in the Meier & Frank Company department store, a branch of The May Company Stores, in 1979.

Most modern coin elongating machines can be found in museums or landmark gift shops, souvenir stores, zoos, amusement parks and other locations of this kind.

The group's official mission is to "educate, encourage and promote the study, acquisition and exhibition of elongated coins."

[15] It is common to find "pressed penny" machines in tourism hubs, such as museums, amusement parks,[16] and natural or man-made landmarks.

[18] When a train rolls over a penny, the force is sufficient to cause plastic deformation that flattens and stretches it into an oval, showing only the faintest trace of the original design.

[20] The process of creating elongated coins is legal in the United States, South Africa and parts of Europe.