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Alexander Match

Alexander Mfg. Co., Hamilton, OH, c. 1910, 15". This is a stately 4-column match vendor that's nearly a twin to the Hamilton match vendor. They're so similar that I can't remember which is which without looking at the curved front panel that lists the manufacturer. The biggest difference structurally is that this opens and loads from the back whereas the Hamilton does that from the front. There's no doubt that both models were made in the same place, with this version labeled for the Alexander Mfg. Co. and the other one labeled for the Hamilton Mfg. Co. Note that the front of the Hamilton says "Made by the Hamilton Mfg. Co." while the Alexander panel says "The Alexander Mfg. Co." without the made by. That suggests that the Hamilton Mfg. Co. made both models, but that's a literal interpretation that may not be accurate.

You can see the coin slot up close here. This is really similar to the coin slot pictured on the front of Ken Rubin's book Drop Coin Here, and I wonder if this was the inspiration for that cover.

You can see the turn handle up close here, and I show this only because of the VULCAN embossed in it. I have no clue what VULCAN was, or is, but I'm curious in case anyone reading this knows and could let me know.

The example above is 100% original. This model and the Hamilton are both considered rare.