I grew up in bars and such and I was always told that people will feed a jukebox that is already playing, and so the owner had a handful of red quarters to 'prime the pump' if the juke ever went silent.
Back in the 60's my grandmother owned a bar in West NY-NJ, Bergen County. She had red quarters for the Juke box and the table top games, which she gave us to use on the machines, and to customers.
When the company made their weekly lists to service the units and empty the collection boxes...non red quarters went to the company and the reds back to her.
About 5yrs ago, I rcvd a red quarter in my change. It brought back a flood of memories. I keep it in box on my dresser that stores my assorted pocket litter.
Ahhhh...the memories that silly coin evokes each time I pick it up.
As a grade schooler in the 80s, one of the kids parents owned a restaurant. They had a birthday party for him every april, and we got treated to pizzas, and handfuls of red quarters to use in the pinball, video games and jukebox. It was the best birthday party of the class. I think they told us they were house quarters that the workers could use to play the jukebox or play the games after hours
This is amazing. I was given a red quarter back in 2007. I always wondered why it was painted red, but never put much into it. I still have the quarter somewhere. So cool to finally know the likely story behind it ✨
They were also used in jukeboxs when the bartender put quarters into the jukebox to play music and when the owner of the jukebox come to empty the coins he would pick out the red quarters and give them back to the bartender.
Back when I was growing up at the diner, the waitresses would put quarters from their tips in the jukebox with fingernail polish on them as a way to get people to play more music and they’d always get them back from the guy that owns the jukebox.
This is such a great throwback! My dad had a pizza place in NY from the early 50's through to the 70's. He always had red nail polish painted quarters on hand and gave them out to kids who behaved themselves so they'd have a free game. After he retired I was always excited to find those quarters in the wild thinking I was finding a piece of our family history. lol. Even though it was a much broader practice, it will be no less exciting to find them - they are a great reminder of a simpler time. I still have a bunch squirreled away. Thanks for the reminder!
Well that’s certainly a better explanation than whatever was playing out in my head.
That’s a 30 year itch FINALLY scratched.
Great post and I definitely remember red quarters, although they seem to be extinct.
I grew up in bars and such and I was always told that people will feed a jukebox that is already playing, and so the owner had a handful of red quarters to 'prime the pump' if the juke ever went silent.
Back in the 60's my grandmother owned a bar in West NY-NJ, Bergen County. She had red quarters for the Juke box and the table top games, which she gave us to use on the machines, and to customers.
When the company made their weekly lists to service the units and empty the collection boxes...non red quarters went to the company and the reds back to her.
About 5yrs ago, I rcvd a red quarter in my change. It brought back a flood of memories. I keep it in box on my dresser that stores my assorted pocket litter.
Ahhhh...the memories that silly coin evokes each time I pick it up.
As a grade schooler in the 80s, one of the kids parents owned a restaurant. They had a birthday party for him every april, and we got treated to pizzas, and handfuls of red quarters to use in the pinball, video games and jukebox. It was the best birthday party of the class. I think they told us they were house quarters that the workers could use to play the jukebox or play the games after hours
Telephone repair men also used this method when diagnosing problems with mechanical pay-phones. 👍.
This is amazing. I was given a red quarter back in 2007. I always wondered why it was painted red, but never put much into it. I still have the quarter somewhere. So cool to finally know the likely story behind it ✨
They were also used in jukeboxs when the bartender put quarters into the jukebox to play music and when the owner of the jukebox come to empty the coins he would pick out the red quarters and give them back to the bartender.
Brilliant!! Makes perfect sense. Who knew??
Back when I was growing up at the diner, the waitresses would put quarters from their tips in the jukebox with fingernail polish on them as a way to get people to play more music and they’d always get them back from the guy that owns the jukebox.
I once found a red nickel in an old field and did some research. Found out it was often used for a jukebox! I think that's so cool.
This is such a great throwback! My dad had a pizza place in NY from the early 50's through to the 70's. He always had red nail polish painted quarters on hand and gave them out to kids who behaved themselves so they'd have a free game. After he retired I was always excited to find those quarters in the wild thinking I was finding a piece of our family history. lol. Even though it was a much broader practice, it will be no less exciting to find them - they are a great reminder of a simpler time. I still have a bunch squirreled away. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for a fascinating bit of trivia!
Did you by any chance work at the Aladdins Castle in the Richland Mall in Ohio? That was my first job in the 1990's lol.
I love history in all it's odd permutations. Thank you.
I always wondered about why quarters were red. Thanks for the backstory!
History...I miss the game rooms...and all those dam quarters I spent...hahaha