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Chic-Mint

Chic-Mint Gum Co., Wilmington, DE, c. 1915, 11 ¹/₂". According to Silent Salesmen Too, this machine was made first by the Ferris, Hass & Co., then by the Perfection Automatic Machine Co., and then the Chic-Mint Gum Co. of Wilmington, DE. This example is from the Chic-Mint Gum Co.

These are primative looking machines. The base and mechanism are cast iron; the tapered cylindrical body is sheet metal. I often see the sides dented, but I've been told by other collectors that it's pretty easy to push shallow dents out from the inside. 'Course, if it's a bad dent then that may not work well, but if it's a superficial dent with no paint damage then that trick may completely reverse the damage.

The edge of the globe slips under two tabs that hold the front and right side in place. A long, curved metal rod slips over a third point on the globe's rim, then extends downward through the top of the machine to the base where it locks into a small cast iron cover that locks into place and protects the coin compartment. The design is a bit cumbersome, but I think all designs of lidless globe systems are cumbersome.

In my opinion what makes this machine is the ancient look, which depends on nice old paint and decent body graphics. Other collectors have told me that they think the globe decal makes it, but I don't agree; it's obviously nice to have one, but I think a nice original Chic-Mint without a globe decal is still pretty nice. Repaint this machine, even with recreated front graphics, and the value is substantially less than that of an original example.

I'm not aware of any difference in value between a Perfection and a Chic-Mint. I'm not sure I've ever seen a Ferris, Hass & Co. example, although I wouldn't have noticed unless it differs by more than just the company designation on the front gold leaf. Few versions are found with the globe decal still present. I've seen one version with a dedicated wall bracket, and that example was stunning---the nicest I've ever seen. Unfortunately, it's on someone else's wall instead of mine.

This example is 100% original.