Vending machine
Automated machine dispensing goods after payment.
A vending machine is an automated device that gives out products like snacks, drinks, cigarettes, or lottery tickets once a customer inserts cash, a credit card, or uses another payment method. The earliest modern versions appeared in England during the early 1880s, selling postcards. Today, these machines are found worldwide, and newer specialized models offer less typical goods than the usual fare.
The first known vending machine was described by Hero of Alexandria, a 1st-century engineer and mathematician in Roman Egypt. His device took a coin, which landed on a pan attached to a lever, opening a valve to release wine or holy water. The pan kept tilting under the coin’s weight until the coin fell off, at which point a counterweight snapped the lever back, shutting the valve. Early novelty machines included one with a clucking chicken that dispensed a toy-filled egg. Coin-operated tobacco machines appeared in English taverns as early as 1615; they were portable and made of brass. In 1822, bookseller Richard Carlile created a newspaper dispenser for banned works. Simon Denham received British Patent no. 706 in 1867 for a stamp machine, the first fully automatic vending machine.
Modern coin-operated vending machines began in London in the early 1880s, dispensing postcards. Percival Everitt invented this machine in 1883, and it quickly became common at railway stations and post offices, selling envelopes, postcards, and notepaper. The Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Company, founded in England in 1887, was the first firm focused on installing and maintaining vending machines. Around the same time, Dixon Henry Davies and inventor John Mensy Tourtel patented a coin-operated reading lamp for trains, founding the Railway Automatic Electric Light Syndicate, Ltd. It ran on batteries, giving 30 minutes of light for a penny, but failed long-term. Tourtel also invented a coin-operated gas meter. In 1893, German chocolate maker Stollwerck sold its chocolate through 15,000 vending machines and set up companies in various regions to produce machines for chocolate, cigarettes, matches, chewing gum, and soap.
The first U.S. vending machine was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on New York City train platforms. In 1897, the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small moving figures to these machines, creating “trade stimulators” that encouraged purchas
- earliest known reference
- 1st century AD Roman Egypt, in the work of Hero of Alexandria
- first modern vending machines
- England, early 1880s, dispensing postcards
- first vending machine in the U.S.
- 1888, built by Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on New York City train platforms
- U.S. industry value (2023)
- $18.2 billion
- number of machines in U.S. (2023)
- approximately 3 million
- average monthly revenue per machine (202
- $525
Lore & Background
The earliest known reference to a vending machine is in the work of Hero of Alexandria, an engineer and mathematician in 1st century AD Roman Egypt. His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed wine or holy water. When the coin was deposited, it fell upon a pan attached to a lever, which opened a valve to let wine flow out; the pan continued to tilt until the coin fell off, and a counterweight snapped the lever up and turned off the valve. Some early novelty vending machines featured a clucking chicken which dispensed a toy-filled egg. Coin-operated machines that dispensed tobacco were being operated as early as 1615 in the taverns of England, and an English bookseller, Richard Carlile, devised a newspaper dispensing machine for banned works in 1822. Simon Denham was awarded British Patent no. 706 for his stamp dispensing machine in 1867, the first fully automatic vending machine.
Reader's Guide
The vending machine has evolved from a simple coin-operated device in 1st century Roman Egypt to a multi-billion dollar industry. The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London in the early 1880s, dispensing postcards, and soon became widespread at railway stations and post offices. The Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Company, founded in 1887 in England, was the first company to deal primarily with installing and maintaining vending machines. In the United States, the first vending machine was built in 1888 by the Thomas Adams Gum Company, selling gum on New York City train platforms. The industry has grown significantly, with the U.S. market estimated at $18.2 billion in 2023, and approximately 3 million machines generating an average monthly revenue of $525. The trend is toward more sophisticated and automated vending machines, particularly in North America and Japan, driven by demand for convenience and advanced technologies. The hot food vending machine sector is valued at $4.8 billion, and the broader fresh food vending segment is projected to reach $8 billion by 2029. Internal communication in vending machines is typically based on the MDB standard, supported by NAMA and the European Vending & Coffee Service Association.
Did You Know?
- The earliest known reference to a vending machine is in the work of Hero of Alexandria in 1st century AD Roman Egypt, dispensing wine or holy water after a coin was deposited.
- Coin-operated machines that dispensed tobacco were being operated as early as 1615 in the taverns of England.
- The first modern coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London, England, in the early 1880s and dispensed postcards.
- In 1897, the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small figures that moved when gum was bought, spawning 'trade stimulators'.
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