Ancient Coin Operated Vending Machine

[Danny S. Jones]

In 120 B.C., Hero of Alexandria invented a device that was, in all practicality, the world's first vending machine at a temple in Alexandria. The machine was a giant urn with a slot in the top to insert a coin. When a coin was dropped in, the coin's weight began a chain reaction that dispensed "Holy Water" for ritual cleansing by the worshippers. David Childress writes in Technology of the Gods: The Incredible Sciences of the Ancients that the weight of the coin made a small plunger pull up and dispensed a measured amount of water.

This is a very interesting tidbit of history, and I think appropriate for this thread. Fleur-de-coin states that the coin used was a heavy 5 drachm piece. I'd love to see the candidates for the coin used.

[Noah]

Now, if I could only rig up the vending machines at our middle school to only take ancients, I would make a fortune.  You'd be surprised to what lengths 12-14 year olds will go to get soda and candy! 

Best, Noah

[cliff_marsland]

Neat!  I knew of the machine, but I never knew what it looked like!

I would have liked to have seen how the big Ptolomaic bronzes fit. 

[Danny S. Jones]

Now, if I could only rig up the vending machines at our middle school to only take ancients, I would make a fortune.  You'd be surprised to what lengths 12-14 year olds will go to get soda and candy! 

Best, Noah

There have been days that I would have given a tetradrachm for a nice, ice cold drink. I'd give a denarius for a Dr. Pepper right now. Well... maybe a Fel Temp.

[CzarMike]

I saw that on a history channel show about Archimedes a while ago

[Jochen]

The ancients have known of many high sophisticated machines. Remember the mechanism of Antikythera. But their knowledge has never influenced or even changed their society. They were looked at as curiosities but there was no need to use them. This has some similarities with the World Machines and other mirabilities in Baroque. There must be a fundamental difference to the technical explosion beginning in the 19th century: The Protestantism, the Aufklärung and the Great French Revolution.

Best regards

[Paul D3]

I would imagine this endevour was short lived. When the machine was opened to collect the money, I would expect they found a high percentage of flat rocks, etc. that weigh as the coins did, and fit through the slot.

[284ad]

The same system was used to dispense holy water at Gladiator arenas.

Or so Adam Hart Davis claims in his "What the Roman's Did For Us" series (in which you can see a reproduction of one in use).

[Danny S. Jones]

I wonder if the mechanism ever malfunctioned or got stuck like the twinkie I never got at lunch? You'd have some irate gladiators on your hands waiting in line for their holy water.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Unless it stuck with the tap on, like my washing machine did the other week, and flooded the place.

[Danny S. Jones]

History repeats itself. Holy water dispensers just became hi-tech! Catholic churches in Italy are installing automatic holy water dispensers to help reduce the risk of spreading swine flu from people dipping their hands in open fonts of holy H2O. Although, I don't think that these new machines require a drachm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8356019.stm

[JRoME]

It appears from the picture that the coin would have to pass through water to land on the lever, easier said than done.   I bet it took many tries to achieve the desired outcome.  Perhaps you could judge your fortune or favor from above by how much you spent.

[Aarmale]

Thats really quite interesting.  Do you sometimes have to give it a good kick to make it work?