National Cash Registers

When looking at a potential estate sale this week, I came across a beautiful brass and marble National Cash Register.  I spent a good bit of my life in Dayton, Ohio, the original home of NCR before they moved their headquarters to Atlanta so I thought our readers might want to hear a short story of this amazing company.  

In the days before the invention of the cash register, businesses wrestled with widespread employee theft and unreliable accounting. The Gilded Age’s rapid growth meant rushed hiring and porous finances, a problem screaming for a solution. It arrived in the form of a revolutionary invention: the cash register.

James Jacob Ritty, an Ohio pub owner fed up with his saloon’s disappearing funds, found his inspiration on an 1879 vacation. Observing a ship’s propeller tracker, he envisioned a similar mechanism to count money. With his brother John, a skilled machinist, Ritty created “Ritty’s Incorruptible Cashier” — a machine with a circular interface, nickel-increment keys, and a lockable cash box.

Despite its ingenuity, Ritty sold his patent for a modest $1,000 in 1881 to the National Manufacturing Company. Fortuitously, one of Ritty’s early customers was John Henry Patterson, a coal merchant who saw his business dramatically improve after acquiring two registers. Recognizing the invention’s potential, Patterson bought the company in 1884, renaming it National Cash Register (NCR).

Patterson transformed NCR into a technological powerhouse, investing heavily in research and development. He introduced innovations like paper receipts and established a sophisticated sales force. NCR’s salespeople, trained by Patterson, were encouraged to be polished and professional, a stark contrast to the rough-and-tumble sales culture of the era. This focus on professionalism and problem-solving helped NCR dominate the market, selling millions of registers by the early 20th century.

NCR became a cornerstone of Dayton, Ohio, earning the nickname “The Cash” and investing in the community with parks and social programs. However, its history wasn’t without blemish; discriminatory hiring practices were prevalent.

The company continued to innovate, introducing the first electric cash register in 1906 and later, automatic coin dispensers. A pivotal moment arrived in 1974 with the introduction of the barcode and NCR’s scanning system, forever changing retail by streamlining checkout and enhancing efficiency.

The late 20th century brought challenges. A 1991 acquisition by AT&T led to layoffs and a decline in Dayton’s manufacturing prowess. Yet, NCR persevered, eventually splitting into two distinct entities in 2023: NCR Voyix, focusing on retail and hospitality, and NCR Atleos, dedicated to banking.

Today, while the internal technology has evolved dramatically, from mechanical cranks to complex computer interfaces, the core function of the cash register remains. Modern point-of-sale systems, including NCR Voyix’s self-checkout machines, still perform the essential task of tracking money, ensuring accountability, and enabling the seamless flow of commerce – a testament to James Ritty’s initial vision and John Henry Patterson’s relentless pursuit of innovation. The “incorruptible cashier” continues to shape how we buy and sell, a quiet yet powerful force in the global economy.