The History of Vending Machines: From Ancient Origins to Modern Marvels
Vending machines have silently served humanity for centuries, dispensing everything from holy water to postcards and even our favorite gum. Their story is one of ingenuity, convenience, and technological leaps. In today’s blog post, we’ll uncover some unknown facts behind these coin-swallowing contraptions and discover how they’ve shaped our modern lives. Ancient Origins Vending machines have a lineage that stretches back to ancient times. The earliest known vending machine was devised by Hero of Alexandria, a brilliant Greek engineer and mathematician, during the first century AD. Hero’s invention was no ordinary dispenser—having been installed in Egyptian temples, it provided holy water in exchange for coins. 18th Century Europe In the 18th century, vending machines began to make appearances in Europe. Simeon Denham, an Englishman, is credited with creating the first fully automatic vending machine in 1867. Denham’s ingenious contraption dispensed stamps, making it easier for people to access postage without […]