This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/31/2005.
This extravagant cash register was manufactured by the National Cash Register (NCR) Company in 1898. 18" tall with a 15-1/2" x 18-1/2" base, the ornately sculpted cast metal cabinet design is called "empire" and was designed for NCR by Tiffany. On the front are four rows of nine enameled buttons each. There is a raised "78" shield and a stamped serial number plaque that reads "S70644," dating the machine to February-April 1898. On the lower right is the reset lever. On the upper front are two small windows reading "Dollars" and "Cents." Above these is the glass pay window, where customers and clerks could see the price rung up. There are several keyholes on the front and side, for engaging different mechanism combinations. On the right is a crank handle which adds up the total and opens the cash drawer. On the left side is an intricately carved removable heart-shaped housing that encases the receipt printing mechanism. Prior to 1892, there was no printed or itemized record of transactions. In 1892, NCR began to offer cash registers that printed the totals of transactions on a continuous tape and generated a printed receipt. On the very top is plaque stamped with several patent numbers, the latest being 1898. Resting atop the solid quarter sawn oak base is the wooden cash drawer. Fully operational, the register is in overall EXMT condition with some dulling of the metal due to age and use. This item will be expensive to ship.