US3448850A - Ornamental coin holder - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1969 J SEGEL AL 3,448,850

ORNAMENTAL .COIN HOLDER Filed Nov, 30, 1967 IN VE N TORS.

JOSEPH M. SEGEL WILL/AM E. HALES A TTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,448,850 ORNAMENTAL COIN HOLDER Joseph M. Segel, Merion, Pa., and William E. Hales, Westmont, N.J., assignors to General Numismatics Corporation, Yeadon, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvama Filed Nov. 30, 1967, Ser. No. 686,932 Int. Cl. A45c 11/00; B65d 7/02 US. Cl. 206-.8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ornamental coin holder comprising first and second halves, each having an opening through the center portion thereof. Cooperating securing means are provided at opposite ends of the half members and further securing means are provided adjacent the center of the members.

Flanges are provided on each half surrounding the open- The present invention relates to an ornamental coin holder and more particularly to an attractive coin holder which may be readily taken apart and yet, when secured together has the appearance of a sealed unitary device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful ornamental coin holder.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental coin holder which is highly attractive in appearance and, when interconnected, has the appearance of a sealed unitary device.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ornamental coin holder which can be hung from a Christmas tree and which is adapted to retain a coin therein and expose the major faces thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an ornamental coin holder which exposes substantially the entire major faces of a coin retained therein by providing aligned openings on male and female halves of the coin holder.

It is" still a further object of the present invention to provide an ornamental coin holder which is simple to interconnect, relatively inexpensive to produce, and yet highly attractive in appearance.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure which follows hereinafter.

The above and other objects are accomplished by means of the present invention. A coin holder is provided which is composed of two halves. One half may be referred to as a male member and the other half may be referred to as a female member. The male and female members are adapted to be secured together and retain a coin there between. The male and female members have openings therein.

Securing means for connecting the male and female members together are provided at several locations. The initial securing means is provided at opposite ends of the coin holder. Projection-s on the male member are adapted to fit into openings on the female member at the ends to interconnect the halves of the coin holder. Thereafter, it is merely necessary to exert a slight pressure at locations adjacent to concentric openings so that the further securing means may be snapped together. When all securing means are interconnected, the device has a sealed unitary appearance which is highly attractive.

3,448,850 Patented June 10, 1969 lce Openings may be provided in the sealing means at one end of the halves of the coin holder to permit the coin holder to be connected to a Christmas tree or the like. The coin utilized may commemorate any of the events of Christmas and may be of any desired color. The coin is retained in its desired position by the flanges which extend slightly into the openings .on each half of the coin holder. The coin holder is generally elliptical in shape to further enhance the attractiveness thereof. A conical surface is provided on each half of the coin holder which extends upwardly and outwardly from the openings to the top surface of each half of the coin holder.

The mating edges of each half of the coin holder are flat and present a smooth attractive appearance when the halves of the coin holder are interengaged. The halves of the coin holder may be separated by physically prying apart the halves. This may be accomplished by merely sliding ones fingernail between the halves and prying the halves For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the ornamental coin holder of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top elevation view taken on FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view taken on FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a section view taken on an enlarged scale along the line 44 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGURES 1-4 an ornamental coin holder designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The coin holder is composed of two half members which may be referred to as a male member 12 and a female member 14. The half members 12 and 14 are not identical in construction as will be made clear hereinafter.

The male member 12 has a triangular projection 16 adjacent the lowermost end thereof. The member 14 is provided with a triangular recess 18 which is adapted to receive the projection 16. The projection 16 is adapted to be tightly frictionally engaged in the triangular recess 18.

A further triangular projection 20 extends from member 12 adjacent the uppermost end thereof. The triangular projection 20 has a hole 22 extending therethrough for a purpose which will be made clear hereinafter. Member 14 has a triangular hole 24 therein in which the projection 20 is received. The projection 20 is adapted to be tightly friction-ally engaged in the triangular hole 24.

The upper ends of the members 12 and 14 may be cut away as at 23 and 25 to provide shoulders 27 and 29. When the members '12 and 14 are interconnected the cutouts 23 and 25 define a projecting tab formed by the upper surfaces of the members 12 and 14 therebetween. The shoulders 27 and 29 permit the holder '10 to be supported by a slotted mounting member (not shown) which receives the tab for shipment or display purposes. Projecting tab can project into a suitable base and used as a desk ornament or the like. A string or other suitable securing means can be threaded through the hole 22 and triangular hole 24 so that the coin holder 10 may be attached to a Christmas tree or the like.

An ellipse 26 is defined on each of the members 12 and 14. The outer surfaces of the members 12 and 14 have a conical surface extending downwardly and inwardly away from the ellipses 26 toward circular openings 28 defined on each of the members. In order to enhance the aesthetic qualities of the coin holder, the conical surfaces may be frosted by any suitable means. The frosting may be effected by producing the members 12 and 14 with a stippled die. The members 12 and 14 are preferably composed of plastic although the use of any material is within the scope of the present invention.

Flanges 32 and 34 extend inwardly from the circular openings 28. The flanges 32 and 34 are adapted to retain a coin 35 therebe'tween. Only the outermost edges of the major 'faces of the coin 35 are retainedbetween the flanges 32 and 34. Hence, almost the entirety of the major faces of both sides of the coin are visible through the circular openings 28.

A peripheral extension 36 extends from the male member 12 around and is spaced from the openings 28. The extension 36 has an enlarged head 38 thereon. The head 38 extends around the entire periphery of the member 12 and extends inwardly toward the openings 28.

The female member 14 is provided with an enlarged peripheral head 40 at its innermost portion adjacent the periphery of the circular openings 28. The enlarged head 40 extends around the entire periphery of the member 14 and extends outwardly with respect to the openings 28. A recess 42 is defined by the enlarged head 40 and the main body portion of the member 14 and extends around the periphery of the enlarged head 40. The enlarged head 38 is adapted to be received within the recess 42 when the members 12 and 14 are interconnected. The enlarged head 38 will be frictionally retained within the recess 42 until the members 12 and 14 are physically pried apart. This may be accomplished by sliding ones fingernail between the members 12 and 14 and forcing the enlarged head 38 out of engagement with the recess 42.

When the members 12 and 14 are interconnected, they define a space 44 therebetween. Coins such as those commemorating the twelve days of Christmas can be retained between the flanges 32 and 34. Any other suitable coins can be retained therein although the invention is primarily directed to coins having a beautiful decorative finish and is not directed primarily for use by numismatists.

The coin is adapted to be frictionally retained in the circular opening 28. The diameter of the coin is substantially the same as the diameter of the opening 28. The coin is placed so that it rests against either flange 32 or flange 34 in the hole 28. The securing means on the upper and lower edges of the coin holder is aligned and snapped together. Thereafter, it is necessary to apply pressure in the center of the coin holder to effect interengagement of the securing means provided for the enlarged head 38 and the recess 42. After the coin holder 10 has been snapped together the mating edges of the members 12 and 14 appear sealed. The coin has the appearance of being embedded in the coin holder 10 but yet can be easily and readily replaced.

The members 12 and 14 may be made of any suitable material. However, in the preferred embodiment, plastic is the preferred material. In the preferred embodiment the overall height of the coin holder is approximately 5 /2 inches long. The circular opening 28 is approximately 1 /2 inches in diameter. The width of the coin holder may be approximately 2% inches and the thickness of the coin holder at its thickest point may be approximately of an inch. The major dimension of the ellipses 26 may be approximately 2 /s inches with the minor dimension being approximately 2% inches.

Hereinafter, the members '12 and 14 may be referred to as first and second halves, each being a semi-ellipsoidal body having a circular opening therein and tapered ends. When the halves are joined together, they form an ellipsoidal body having tapered ends with the openings aligned.

We claim:

1. A coin holder comprising first and second halves each being a semi-elliptical body having convex peripheral surfaces and tapered ends, said body having a circular opening therethrough, cooperating means on said halves at said ends and adjacent said openings for removably selectively interconnecting the halves together to form an ellipsoidal body having tapered ends with the openings aligned, a flange on each half surrounding each opening, and a coin held between the halves by said flange concentric with the aligned openings.

2. A coin holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cooperating means at said ends includes projections on one half and openings in the other half, said cooperating means adjacent said opening including a circular member on one half having anenlarged end concentric with said flange on said one half and a circular member on the other half having a recess therein, said enlarged end being received in said recess with a snap fit.

3. A coin holder in accordance with claim 1 including an opening in the cooperating means at one end of said body to facilitate supporting the ellipsodial body from above.

4. A coin holder in accordance with claim 1 wherein said halves have mating recesses between the cooperating means adjacent said opening and the cooperating means at said ends to define a space wherein the halves are out of contact with one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,603,017 7/1952 Merrill 40156 X 2,639,530 5/1953 Merrill 40152 3,200,527 8/1965 Clark 40--152 2,258,535 10/1941 Buranelli. 3,229,809 1/1966 Spadaro 2060.82 2,511,651 6/1950 Schlitz 402 X JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

I. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 220-4

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