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Pansy Gum (Roth's)

Roth's Pansy Gum, c. 1905, 20". This model consists of a sheet-metal plate onto the back of which is attached a mechanism, and all of that fits into a wood box. According to the front it dispensed a stick of gum, a fortune, and a love letter, all for the grand total of one penny. I've never seen one with original product so I don't know how all that was packaged into an easily dispensed bundle, but I'm sure it was since the machine says it was.

The examples above represent the two variations with this front and a wood case. The one pictured left and center is the more common of the two versions. Don't misinterpret that to mean it's common, 'cause it's not....but it's not rare, either. The one on the right is the same as the one on the left except for the coin-slot cover and the trim at the top and bottom of the front. The trim keeps it from sitting on a countertop so this one has to be wall-mounted whereas the other can be wall-mounted or set on a shelf. I believe this example is the only one known and is the one pictured on page 134 of Silent Salesmen Too. I've always wondered why Bill used a rare version as an example of the Roth's Pansy Gum in Silent Salesmen Too, and I still don't know but this machine came from his collection so maybe it was just handy. Using this as an example of the model was a disservice to less-seasoned collectors like me because I thought this version represented the model and it took me a long time to figure out why I kept seeing the version on the left without ever seeing the kind pictured in the book.

Two other models with the moniker "Pansy Gum" are shown in Silent Salesmen Too:

• On page 88 is a version that's similar to the ones above, but has an embossed metal case and extensive and colorful graphics. It also dispensed gum, a fortune, and a love letter for a penny. Its shape and design attest to a common heritage with the ones above, but it's much flashier. If the versions above are distinguished bank executives, the one on page 88 is a flamboyant gay hairdresser. I've seen one live and it's stunning (I mean the machine, not the hairdresser). Silent Salesmen Too lists the manufacturer of this version as London Novelty Co. and the patent date as 1900, both of which differ from those of the machines above. (Edit 1/26/2020: I wrote the preceding words of this paragraph before I acquired an example of the page 88 hairdresser version in November 2019, which you can read about here. I'd normally now revise the original text in this paragraph to accommodate the fact that I now have one, but I like this paragraph so I'm gonna leave it as is for now, "now" meaning maybe for a while and maybe forever.)

• On page 120 is an aluminum or nickel-plated cast iron countertop Pansy Gum that appears to bear no relationship to the ones above, although it too dispensed gum, a fortune, and a love letter for a penny. You can see that one here. It looks quite different from the other Pansy Gums, but Silent Salesmen Too lists the manufacturer of this version as Pansy Gum and the patent date as 1905, so....I don't know.