Coin Holder | Beatles memorabilia
Did your friend ask if you could spare some change to buy a grilled cheese sandwich in the lunch line today? Before you reply, “You never give me your money,” you proudly announce, “Why, let me check by looking into my Beatles coin purse!” You could have counted “one, two, three, four, five, six cents!”
This favorite item, manufactured by New Items Company Inc. out of Cleveland, Ohio, was an oval, squeeze-to-open coin purse/holder produced in 1964. Made from thick plastic/rubber, the purse measured 3” x 2” (7.5cm x 5.5cm) and was sold in either red or black. Beatles’ facsimile autographs, headshots, and “The Beatles” were printed on the front.
A promotional version used a different font style and had no “The Beatles” printed on it.
Retail stores displayed the holders/purses on a 9½” x 12½” easel-backed shop display card with 12 red or black coin-holder purses in notched slots, sold in the U.S.A. The top of the card read, “Beatles Coin Purse - Opens With A Fingertip Touch. U.S. PAT Number, Made in U.S.A.” and had a graphic of a hand unclasping the coin purse, with ease, of course, and coins falling downward.
Additionally, the card had a blank, round price tag for the store owner to write in a price and a hole at the top for hanging the display.
Many reproductions of the coin purses have come in various colors, including red, black, blue, and purple. These purses have square bottom corners and different reproduced graphics on the front, printed in black.
This contrasts with the authentic purses, which had rounded bottom edges and original drawings printed in white ink. The originals were produced with very thick plastic; the fakes are flimsy. The reproductions also have a metal clasp under the vinyl covering to snap the holder closed.
New Items Company Ltd
The NEMS agreement was with New Items Company Ltd, 4205 Chester Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. The manufacturing license agreement was dated April 13, 1964, for the ‘coin holder,' with an initial term of ‘5 years.’ The initial license territory listed for distribution was ‘World.'
Addresses on that block of Cleveland (historically associated with union halls like Bricklayers Local #5 and various office/commercial spaces) frequently served as distribution and manufacturing hubs for novelty suppliers.
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