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Hi !

I have decided to put (1) of the (3) ... Original Royal Crown Cola VMC 81 Door Stamped / Embossed Plates that I have ... up for sale

Just in case you're wondering ... yes ... I am the guy who listed one on Etsy.com ... back in 2014

The plates were found in a barn ... wrapped up in an old blanket ... in the Fresno , CA area about 20 years ago

Again ... I am only putting (1) of the plates up for sale

The plate measures - 12" x 20"

The photo is the actual plate that is up for sale

I might consider a partial trade plus cash ...

Make me an offer ...

Thanks !
Jess

This is a photo of the back side of the plate

wow... would love to know the story there... if they were stamped samples or from machines too far gone.
Best of luck with the sale...

Another reason why a original RC81 should be worth more than a restored one.

I would consider trading my Original Royal Crown Cola VMC 81 Door Embossed Plate ... for a solid VMC 81 Generic Door or a Coca Cola Vendo 81 ... Let me know what you have

Thanks
Jess

Jess,
Can you clarify how this is "Original"...?  What was the purpose for these "plates"  and how were they supposed to be utilized...?
What is the history behind these plates...?
Original VMC RC 81's did not have plates of this kind for the embossed lettering/logo.

Hi Jim,

Thank you very much for your interest !

Actually ... I found the plates closer to 30 years ago ... in a barn in the Fresno , Ca area ... I went to look at a 1957 Chevrolet Pick Up Truck that was for sale and being stored in a barn ... the woman's husband had passed away ... and she was selling his truck that he purchased new

While there ... she mentioned her husband had worked for the Vendorlator Company in Fresno 

Anyway ... to make a long story short ... she told me that her husband had some spare parts for the truck in the barn ... and said it was OK for me to look around ... and if I found any parts for it ... I could have them with the truck

I found a few parts for the truck ... but it was my 7 year old son ... who climbed up ... and found the embossed plates laying wrapped up on a shelf ... I would have never seen them

You're absolutely right Jim ... the VMC 81 Royal Crown Cola Door was embossed/stamped on the door itself ... they did not stamp a separate plate and install/weld it in later

After 48 years of collecting soda machines ... There is no doubt in my mind ... that the (3) embossed plates that I have are absolutely original stampings and produced from the exact same tooling ... that produced the original stamped doors on the Royal Crown Cola VMC 81

They have not been cut out of rejected production doors ... these plates were definitely stamped as is

And ... after a lot of research over the years ... I am convinced ... the embossed plates that I have ... are Original "Test Stampings" for the Royal Crown Cola  VMC 81 Door

Thanks Again !!!
Jess

What type of research ?  People have speculated about these plates with no real evidence ...

I'm sorry but selling these plates or trading them or whatever is like someone saying I'll sell you a printer to print your own $100 bills.

You found three stampings which is an awesome find... May be a tough sale as some folks would weld into a machine no doubt and may even try to pass as an original...
Lots of fantasy machines out there as you know... And not everyone is as honest as they should be... lots of "Found" Crush, Hires and Nesbitt's 81s out there... So folks
will be skeptical and leery when it comes to barn finds...

I will share that one of my first jobs out of high school was working at a Die Casting Company... good old St. Clair Die Cast Co. long gone now... the guys in the die department
were always testing/stamping out to be sure edges were right and that the die/molds didn't tear the metal and/or that the metal wouldn't get stuck in the press when compressed...
I'm sure there could/would be someone that kept the samples in the shop to compare later stamping to check for wear on the dies... then end up being kept instead of being thrown out...
our shop was full of old test junk like that. And there were guys there that were skilled on those old lathes and Bridgeports that no doubt could reproduce these stampings...

These three pieces have a place in collecting I think it would be cool to see them framed as they were found.  Again great find and story...just what do you do with them as
everyone will have an opinion. You could probably get some pretty good money for them... then off they go into the soda machine world and where they end up? :oops:

Would be nice framed. interesting story.

Yep, This is why I would never invest in a restored RC81 and why an original one should be worth more IMO. At last when a restored Orange Crush pops up we know exactly what it is but with a RC, no telling and no, before and after pictures don't count.

Hi "Sign Guy" ... sounds like you're a "Naysayer"

Fact ... This is not a story !!!

Fact ... I still own the 3 "original stamping plates" I found !!!

Fact ... You won't find any of my 3 "original stamping plates" ... on ANY so called restored RC 81 Machine or Fantasy Machine !!!

Considering the fact ... that it is "assumed" ...  only 200 RC 81 Machines were ever produced ...

Fact ... My 3 "original stamping plates" are much more rare ... than  the actual original RC 81 Machine itself !!!

These plates "Stand Alone" ... by themselves ... and hold a " Very Special Place " ... " And Value " ... in Soda Machine History ... NOT FOR WHAT SOMEONE COULD WITH THEM TO DECEIVE

Jess

Hi "My Goose 101 ",

You have been quick to make a couple of  ...  negative comments ...

These plates "STAND ALONE " in Soda Machine History ... NOT FOR WHAT SOMEONE COULD or MIGHT DO WITH THEM TO DECEIVE ... what's your point ????

Jess

I don't care enough about this thread to reply anymore as it's getting silly so I won't. I said all I needed to say. :biggrin:

          But I thought the original plates also had the registered trade mark stamped into them?

If you listen carefully, you can hear the crickets. ( in regards to the trade-mark question , which is a good question)

You can see the registered (R) trademark embossed in the images on the first page of this post.
Again neat find... But what do you do with them...  too bad there isn't a soda museum... would
be a great display setting beside a die stamping machine.

I must be missing something. A load of fuss over a couple of metal plates.

well there you have it, if it's trademarked, then its an original repop I guess.... :biggrin:

You’re not missing anything Dave.