Sometimes coins were painted and handed out for use in machines by customers. The painted ones got returned to the proprietor. Mostly seen it with nickels and quarters used in juke boxes in taverns.
I don't understand. Don't all the coins go to the proprietor? What's the difference between the red ones and the unpainted ones?
In most cases coins go to the owner of the machine. One example of why coins are painted (usually red) is: In a large Apartment building, as a courtesy to the tenants, the owner installs washer & dryer machines with coin slots. The users inserts a certain amount of coins to use them. The superintendent takes care of them and for doing so is given painted coins for his own use of the machines. When the owner, or vendor, collects the coins, the painted ones are given back to the super. Same thing applies to other machines in different settings as well. (Juke boxes, Joker poker, etc.). This is just one of many examples.
It’s common for coin roll hunters to paint or otherwise mark halves that they’ve already been through. Since halves don’t tend to stray too far from point of origin, it makes it easier for them to sort out the coins they already looked at next time they get a batch in
For instance, in places that had juke boxes (bars especially) the owner would give nickels or quarters to customers to play the juke box. The goal was to get more people interested in playing music and drinking more. The coins were painted to identify them as given by the owner. When the change was removed the painted ones were given back to the owner who would use them again. The machines belonged to some other company who serviced them.
it's a 50 cent coin, it's unlikely it's marked for any vending purpose at all since, most any machines don't take half dollars. most of the marking done to half dollars is done by roll hunters after they search and some of the painted coins are bored girls and a bottle of nail polish. yes, there are marked quarters out therefor various reasons, also from roll hunters and bored girls with nail polish as well as people wanting to track a coin through a coin pusher game or various other reasons, but in general, half dollars aren't used for vending purposes.