abt 1915 Golden Gem Automatic Adding Machine
Chain mechanism. Serial 73158, abt 1915, in working order.
The Golden Gem adding machine enjoyed a long sales success through the first half of the 20th century. The first patent for this popular chain adder was established in 1899 in Germany (No DE121108) Henry and Heinrich Goldmann. During the next 10 years are issued 3 patents in USA and 4 in different countries—Canada, Switzerland, Austrian and England, granted to different people (see the lowe drawing from US patent No 847759, from 19.03.1907, granted to Gancher und Zabriskie). The Golden Gem was introduced by the Automatic Adding Machine Co., New York, in 1904.
The company’s advertising in 1917 claims over 100000 had been sold by that year. At that point they cost $10 each.[http://history-computer.com/CalculatingTools/Gadgets/Golden_gem.html] Assuming that sales increased in later years to 1917 that makes this machine somewhere around 85% of the way through 1904–1917 or around 1915.
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