The Checkbook Balancer
date: label: date made
content: ca 1972
name: label: distributor
content: Diamond International Corporation
notes: label: Description
content: Balancing credits and debits in a checkbook has long challenged many consumers. In 1972, late in the age of mechanical aids to computation, the Diamond Check Division of Diamond International Corporation introduced this small adding machine that fit in a checkbook.
label: Description
content: The stylus-operated tan plastic non-printing adding machine has six orange plastic wheels and an orange plastic stylus. A long slot across the top of the instrument fits into a checkbook. Each wheel has ten indentations on each side. The frame has openings around each wheel on both sides. These are numbered from 0 to 9. Deposits are entered by rotating wheels on the front of the instrument, and debits are entered by rotating wheels on the back. A blue paper envelope gives instructions.
label: Description
content: The machine is marked on the front: THE CHECKBOOK BALANCER (/) DEPOSIT TURN DIALS (/) CLOCKWISE. It is marked on the back: THE CHECKBOOK BALANCER (/) DEDUCT TURN DIALS (/) CLOCKWISE. It is also marked there: PAT. PEND. (/) DIAMOND INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, and: U.S.A. It is marked on the paper case that holds the instrument: Diamond International Corporation, P.O. Bin 28, Arroyo Annex, Pasadena, California 91109.
label: Description
content: Newspaper accounts indicate that this product was aimed particularly at women, as they were primarily responsible for balancing checkbooks. Devices were marketed to banks, who in turn sold them to customers for $3.00 or less. By April 1973 some 500,000 of the machines reportedly had sold. They would soon be replaced by inexpensive electronic calculators.
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: Alexander Auerbach, "Pocketbook Computer May Aid System of Checks and Balances," <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, February 11, 1972, p. F12.
label: Description
content: Display Advertisement, <I>The Washington Post</I>, June 6, 1972, p. A4.
label: Description
content: Display Advertisement, <I>Los Angeles Times</I>, April 24, 1973, p. G6.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place distributed
content: United States: California, Pasadena
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
label: See more items in
content: Adding Machines
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content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Professor Shirley Surrette Duffy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1989.0573.01
label: accession number
content: 1989.0573
label: catalog number
content: 1989.0573.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: adding machine
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 cm x 16.2 cm x 7.5 cm; 13/32 in x 6 3/8 in x 2 15/16 in