This item is not only a one of a kind find in excellent condition, but it is completely unique in that it is designed to be a "Coin Changer," a kind of early cash register and change maker, not unlike what you might find today in a laundromat. 

An interesting note is that because this was made in 1971, it was prior to the laws concerning choking hazards in toys for children 2 through 8 years old. I observed this immediately because the coins are quite small, a size which you would never see today. The U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was established in 1973 by the Consumer Product Safety Act. The jamor regulation issued under this act in 1979 was the Small Parts Regulation which bans any toys which present a choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazard because of small parts having an interior diameter of less than 1.25." Any toy designed for children under three is also subject to Small Parts Regulation, regardless of the labeling actually on the package. That is, because children from 12 to 18 months of age enjoy bright colors, especially yellows and reds with high contrast and patterns, any toys like this are considered being for children of this age regardless of how the package is labeled. In other words, manufacturers can't squirm out of the law by putting "for age 8 or older" on the box. 

Full report: http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/adg.pdf  
CSPC Website: http://www.cpsc.gov/  

What exactly is a "coin changer?" Early coin changers of the 1950’s returned either five nickels or two dimes and a nickel for a quarter with later advances allowing them to change a fifty cent piece. These were popular changers since vending machines could not yet accept such large coins. 1964 brought the introduction of accepting $1.00 bills in their U.S. change machines; quite revolutionary for the times. It wasn't until 1978 that $5.00 bills were accepted.

These are sometimes called "subtracting machines" or in the case of the Brandt, the “Automatic Cashier” which was made in the early 1900’s. When a dollar was tendered at the department store the clerk punched in the purchase amount of 57 cents for example, the machine did the subtraction, then dropped 43 cents change into the clerk's hand. A similar machine was commonly used in banks but it did no calculations. If a clerk keyed in 57 cents, 57 cents dropped into his/hers/its hand.

This Brandt Junior Automatic Cashier is an early cash register machine, dating back to the early 1900's. This particular one was used during that time period at the World Playhouse in Chicago, a noted school and performance venue for musicians and artists. The building is now home to the Fine Arts Theatre. The machine saw years of use, but has been removed and remains in good condition. All the keys are present, and seem to be working properly, although the seller didn't know if this machine is fully functional. The removable ramp is here, but the coin cup is missing. The front and back have wonderful raised images of dragon figures, and the sides have Art Nouveau influenced ornamentation. The case measures 9" wide, 9" deep, and 11" tall, with the coin slots making it 14 1/2". The brass plaque on back lists patent numbers, and has the company name, along with WatertownWisconsin. The right side has the etched number 85-86081. This is a marvelous piece of early money changing machinery, which stands every bit as beautiful today.

1950's Brandt Coin Changer

Selected text from the history of Standard Change Inc. and other sources

http://www.standardchange.com/history.html