In England during the early 1800s, what items were dispensed by the first known mechanical vending machines on steamships?
Answer
Tobacco or postcards
The modernization of the vending concept began centuries after Hero's device, initially appearing in specific, localized contexts before mass market penetration. One of the very first known instances of a mechanical vending machine gained traction in England during the early 1800s specifically on steamships. These early commercial iterations were used to dispense practical items relevant to travelers at the time, which included tobacco or postcards, predating the common dispensing of items like chewing gum in the United States which began later in the 1880s.
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