Postcard vender & bank with dial counter

[sweetmeats]

I purchased this most unusual device on ebay US yesterday: RARE Early Coin Operated English POSTCARD VENDING MACHINE & BANK with Dial Counter

The machine will hold 100 postcards and will register them as they are sold and pennies are saved. The machine is very well made. It comes in a mahogany case with nicely machined brass parts. This bears a stamped serial number of 32, I do not think very many were made. There is no key for the lock. There is some wear to the front as shown. The machine is in WORKING ORDER and operates on a large English penny. The dial counter advances when a coin is inserted. No makers name.
Measures 12'' high and 7'' wide.

You insert a penny for a postcard and the dial advances one step, registering the number of coins entered / cards remaining.
Can anyone throw any light on this mysterious machine?

[gameswat]

Strange that the machine would advertise how much money was inside!? I guess unless you emptied the cash each day and didn't refill the envelopes until they were almost all gone. Though Bob Klepner once told me the story of his buddy metal detecting in country Australia who dug up a cast iron Gold Changer. It had been broken into after being ripped off the wall I guess. Bob and the finder figured out it was the perfect crime, because no matter when you broke into it the thing was always full up with the same amount of money- either in change or in gold sovereigns!!

[john t peterson]

Nice looking machine, it is! Congratulations on your purchase. I was wondering about the counter. Why? Then it struck: it would offer assurance to the prospective post card enthusiast that there were still cards in the machine provided the counter was under 100 (and you had faith the seller had loaded a full stock.) It could also alert the operator to the diminishing stock but I imagine such bloke was checking the "bank" on a regular basis. Very interesting find. Any opinions as to attribution?

J Peterson
Posting cards from America

[mclemore]

This was a neat machine. When I saw it on eBay I figured it was something that would interest you. I've never seen anything else like it before. Thanks for posting pictures here too. I'm curious if any history comes out about it...