Wow! I had no idea that this hobby has been around for so long! I got my first one back in 1989.
"Although an example of an elongated coin is rumored to have been produced some years earlier, it is generally accepted that these tokens were first made during the 1892-1893 World's Columbian Exposition that was held in Chicago, Illinois to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. There were four different designs utilized during that event.

An elongated coin is made by a coin, token, medal or metal blank being forced between two steel rollers. An engraving is on one or both of the rollers and as the coin passes through the rollers it is squeezed or elongated under tremendous pressure from the original round shape to one of an oval and the engraved design impressed into the coin at the same time.

The rolling of elongateds seemed to be rather popular for the first 23 years of their existence and a large amount were rolled between 1893 and 1916. Then for some unknown reason there was a slack period between 1916 and 1932. After 1932 momentum seemed to regenerate and the amount of coins rolled has steadily increased until today they are being produced at such a rapid rate that it is nearly impossible for a collector to keep up with them all.

Some of the earlier collectors are still trying to get everything that is produced, but the majority of todays collectors specialize in one or more fields and collect only those coins which refer to a specialized subject. For example some collect all pieces that refer to the space program, while others prefer political, Christmas, or Expositions. Some collect by roller and try to obtain everything produced by one specific roller.

There are four published books which catalog elongated coins. The latest and the most comprehensive was authored by Angelo A. Rosato, "ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE MODERN ELONGATEDS" 1990 (1700 pages- hard bound)." I got this from a website about pressed pennies suggested by bombshell! great site!

They are pretty cool. There is a site where you can find machines in a given area to get your pennies pressed:
http://www.pennycollector.com/arealist.aspx

I like to find one to get a souvenir when we are traveling.

I have been collecting pressed pennies for years, after two cross country road trips i have several books of them. They are inexpensive and easily portable souvenirs. My most prized is the one I got in the observation floor of the World Trade Center, a year before the tragedy. :(

I needed this website! now i can get more pressed pennies!! I knew that there had to be a site like this!

Thanks for that link. I never knew there were so many in Oklahoma. I only have one that I got from Woolaroc a few years ago. Two here in or close to Tulsa that I wouldn't have thought of, zoo, and Bass Pro shop. Sounds like a fun hobby.

I used to do these, and love them... but I noticed recently most machines seem to take $1 to get a coin rolled. When did this happen? I feel that it was maybe a year ago that I was still paying $0.50 for one. It is a lot of fun to get them when traveling and see them at rest area's and the like. I just can't see under most circumstances paying more than $0.50 for this, and I think saddly that the higher price will kill this hobby over time.

The machines at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago went up to $1 a couple of years ago. Since then, I refuse to use those machines, even though I'm there a few times a month. I don't understand why they would double the price. Do they really need the extra revenue that badly?

TG

Do they really need the extra revenue that badly?

I think part of the issue comes that these places think you are getting one, and not realizing how many people were already stopping for multiples. Those of us that think they are fun to collect will typically get all four designs (assuming all four are related to the tourism, and not say two or three related to the place and the other one or two saying just "lucky penny", etc).

The tourists who get them are now more apt to get just one, or not bother at all. Those of us that collect them will think twice as well.

My gut reaction is that they drouble the price, they lose half or more of their business.

I don't understand why they would double the price. Do they really need the extra revenue that badly?

It's simple, really. The 50-cent machines are mechanical - there are coin slots that take the quarters. But a dollar machine is electronic, so it can scan the dollar, check for counterfeit, etc. And the electronics for that and even the electricity to run it cost money, so they HAD to raise the price to a dollar.

There! Logic!

How do we KNOW she is a witch?