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Columbus Model JMJ

Columbus Vending Company, Columbus, OH, 14 ¹/₂", late 1950s. This is the last model made by Columbus, which is why collectors call it "The Last Columbus." I don't have a specific date range for this model's production, but the Columbus factory was flooded in 1959 and Columbus sold its assets in 1960, so "late 1950s" seems like a safe estimate. Silent Salesmen Too says that "Columbus recalled them due to problems, making them rare." The machine is shaped like a "D" when viewed from above, with a flat back and sides and a rounded front.

I bought this just before the November 2023 Chicagoland show from a friend who's a major Columbus collector. I'd mentioned to him once that I'd like to own a JMJ and hadn't had the chance to get one, and he'd remembered. He had a 1-cent JMJ and a 5-cent JMJ available, and contacted me about them. I'd never seen or heard of a 5-cent version and was more intrigued with that one. It turns out that this is only the second one he's seen, and he obviously has the first one or you'd be seeing this machine on his website and not mine. The pockets inside are deeper than they are on the penny version, which befits the larger coinage needed for this one.

This example is 100% original and is in excellent condition.