How a fruit machine registers the coins

[jamesprivett]

when a coin is put into a fruit machine/telephone box etc. How does the machine register the coin. Is it by the diametre, weight etc?

[dzug]

Yes, all of those, plus sometimes colour, texture, etc in the fancier electronic ones.

[heathfield]

Thickness too, and sometimes even electrical conductivity of the metal.

[toonmilo]

You thinking of putting some washers in then James??

;o)

[rojash]

Go into your local bank and check out the tellers. You will notice that the older they are, the smaller they seem to be. This is a well known side-effect of working in a bank. By the time a tell reaches about 55, he/she is too small to sit behind the counter, so is usually offered alternative employment in a fruit machine, vending machine etc.

They examine and count the coins as you put them in.

This is why, sometimes when you have put money in and received nothing, you will hear waht seems to be a giggle coming from the coin slot.

[heathfield]

Re toonmilo's answer - don't try it, they really do check for holes in the middle too.

[jamesprivett]

thanks guys, just wondering why a coin sometimes doesn't register, but if you lick it or rub it on a wall etc. the machine suddenly registers it, always wondered how the coin was registered