Coin crimpers and wrapping machines
| Era/Year | Manufacturer | Key Developments and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early 1900s (Pre-Automatic) | N/A (Manual/Inventors) | Coins shipped in cloth bags from mints; manual hand-wrapping common. 1901: James Rice patents Coin Bunching Machine (U.S. 720,070) for stacking coins pre-wrapping. 1907: Erskine W. Jennings patents crimper (U.S. 930,291). |
| 1908–1910s | Automatic Coin Wrapping Machine Company | First fully automatic coin wrapping machine patented (U.S. 973,335, applied Oct. 1908, granted 1910) by inventor Charles S. Batdorf. Integrated counting, registering, and crimping; based on Batdorf’s 1904 patent (U.S. 758,733). Machines in limited bank use by 1911; widespread by late 1910s. Company formed ~1908 in U.S.; no longer active. |
| 1918–1940s | Kokuei Machinery Manufacturing (predecessor to Glory Ltd.) | Founded 1918 in Japan for general machinery; early focus on coin handling. Expanded to cash automation post-WWII. |
| 1920s–1940s | Brandt Manufacturing, Inc. (formerly Edward J. Brandt-Dent Co.) | Originated 1899 in Watertown, WI, with coin change dispensers; evolved to coin counters/sorters/wrappers by 1940s. Key player in bank equipment; examples in wrappers from 1943 (Sattley Co. overlap in Detroit). |
| 1931–Present | Klopp International | Founded 1931 in the U.S. as a manufacturer of high-quality, affordable coin handling equipment, including electric and manual coin sorters, counters, and wrappers/baggers. Early models like the 1942 coin sorter set standards for accuracy; still active today with products like CECR1 and CECR4 for banking and vending. |
| 1940s | Sattley Company (Detroit, MI) | Produced semi-automatic wrappers; noted in 1943–1966 bank rolls. Merged or inactive by 1970s. |
| 1946–1950s | Laurel Bank Machines Co., Ltd. | Founded 1946 in Japan; first coin counter 1954, followed by wrappers (e.g., LPC-2 model). Exported globally from 1966; still active. |
| 1950s | A.T. Bowser Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA) | Specialized in automatic coin wrappers; prominent in 1954–1963 Federal Reserve rolls. |
| 1950 | Kokuei Machinery (Glory Ltd.) | Developed Japan’s first coin counter for mints; wrapping integration soon after. Renamed Glory Ltd. in 1971. |
| 1960s | Steel-Strong and Universal (U.S.) | Generic automatic wrappers; Steel-Strong in 1960 rolls, Universal in 1974. Small-scale producers for banks. |
| 1970s | Jeil Coin Counter Co., Ltd. | Founded 1970 in Korea; first Korean coin counter/wrapper (SE-150A/SE-250A models). Expanded to auto-wrappers; still active as top Asian producer. |
| 1971 | Glory Ltd. | Rebranded from Kokuei; global leader in integrated cash-handling (counters, sorters, wrappers). Acquired Brandt in 2009, expanding U.S. presence. |
| 1970s–1980s | N.F. String & Son, Inc. | U.S. firm manufacturing wrappers, tubes, and machines; rose in 1970s as banks outsourced to armored services (e.g., Brinks, Loomis). Still active. |
| 1981–Present | Cummins-Allison Corp. | U.S. innovator in high-speed sorters/wrappers (e.g., JetSort series); noted in 1981 rolls. Merged with Crane in 2010s; focuses on retail/banking automation. |
| 1990s–2000s | Package Machinery Co. | Roots in 1908 general wrapping; adapted for coins by 1990s. Modern high-volume wrappers; still operational. |
| 2000s–Present | Glory Global Solutions (incl. Brandt acquisition) | Post-2009 merger, dominates with models like WR-500; high-speed, counterfeit-detecting wrappers. Global (Japan/U.S.). |
| 2000s–Present | Other Modern Players | Cassida (U.S., 2000s compact wrappers); Semacon/Kolibri (U.S., desktop models); orfix (Germany, full automation); L&L Systems (U.S., institutional). Shift to plastic sleeves and digital integration (e.g., 1990s “shrink-wrapped” styles). |
Notes on Evolution:
- Pre-1950s: Focus on U.S. patents and basic automation; limited to large banks due to cost. Klopp’s 1931 entry strengthened U.S. domestic production alongside Brandt.
- 1950s–1970s: Post-WWII boom; Japanese firms (Laurel, Glory) innovated affordable counters/wrappers. U.S. banks shifted from in-house to third-party services, reducing OBW (Original Bank Wrapped) rolls.
- 1980s–2000s: High-volume, multi-denomination machines with sensors; plastic wrappers emerged for durability.
- Today (2025): Emphasis on AI-driven, eco-friendly systems (e.g., Glory’s voice-enabled apps); global market led by Glory, Cummins-Allison, and Laurel for retail/banking.