Air Force Quarter?

I seem to remember that, during wwII, the guys at some eastern US air force base found that they could solder a penny or a nickel into the center of a spark plug compression washer and then use it in a vending machine. The idea worked so well that it created a major problem for vending machine makers and operators of the day.

Does anyone remember more details?

Pete Stanaitis

Reply to
spaco
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Dunno 'bout that, but I remember a kid in college that used aviation snips to change pennies into dimes for the cigarette machine.

Until the ATF agents came snooping around...

Reply to
cavelamb

Not that tidbit, but interesting:

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It could be the non-steel insert was required to get past the electrical resistance testing magnets.

Dave

Reply to
Dave__67

It is in that article, where it continues on page 204.

Link again as a short link-

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Dave

Reply to
Dave__67

I found it! There is an extensive Popular Science article, "How Coin Machines Detect Phony Money" from March of 1962 that covers the "Philadelphia Quarter" or "Air Force Special". The penny was simply jammed into the spark plug gasket. I've plugged the link in here, but it's pretty long, so you will probably have to reassemble it yourself:

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Interesting to note: Within that pdf of the whole magazine, there's a one page ad for "American Machine and Tools". It shows an 8" tilting arbor table saw for $9.95. It's all there but the motor. I bought one at about that time and used it for many, many years, with a 1/3 hp washing machine motor that I had to reverse in a rather unconventional way.

Pete Stanaitis

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spaco wrote:

Reply to
spaco

Compression washers might have been copper in those days.

Mart> >>

interesting:

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Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

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