???

spleeninator

What does itmean when a coin has a red coating on it?

pharmer

Did someone give it to you?

spleeninator

I have one from Portugal that my dad gave me, and a few others but I cant remember what they are.

lordmarcovan

Red coating, as in bright red, like red paint?

Nail polish, to be more specific?

I once had a quarter that had been painted with red nail polish. I've seen blue ones, too. A dealer friend of mine said, "Yeah, sure, that's a hokewater".

I said, "Hokewater? Whaaaat?"

He said "Ho. Quater." As in, "a prostitute's twenty-five cent piece".

This left me even more baffled.

Then he told me that in some houses of ill repute, it is the habit of the ladies of the evening to paint their quarters with their particular shade of nail polish, so that when the jukebox and other vending machines are emptied, she gets her money back and each lady can identify her particular quarters.

So the story goes, anyway. It could just as well have been somebody bored who decided to paint a quarter (or other coin), for no particular reason.

It could be a hokewater.

longtimecollector

Many years ago, when "jukeboxes" were in everday use......... Typically, the jukeboxes were not owned by the establishment in which they were located..... They were owned by guys like "Tony Three-Toes" or "Guido"........... The establishment and the owner of the machine had an "arrangement" on how the proceeds were split 50-50 / 60-40 / etc....... The "red coins" were used by the barkeepers or other house employees to operate the jukebox during slack periods...... When the coins were emptied, the "red coins" were returned to the establishment BEFORE the division of the remaining proceeds !!!!!!!!!!

Cladiator

Death to the Toreys!

spleeninator

Its actually dark red.

291fifth

Years ago people coated quarters with red nail polish in an attempt to fool vending machines. I don't recall exactly how the scam worked. Anyone else know?

spleeninator