Description
Vintage 1950’s Evans Concinnum Cigarette Rolling Machine
The Evans Patent Concinnum cigarette rolling machine is a hand-operated device made primarily in metal (often brass or nickel-plated) that was used to roll your own cigarettes. You’d place a sheet of rolling paper and a measured amount of tobacco into the machine, then turn the crank to roll the tobacco into a finished cigarette.
History & Age
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Origin & Maker: Typically marked “Evans Patent Concinnum Machine” and made in London, England.
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Era: Although you mentioned the 1950s, examples of these machines date from the early 1900s into mid-century. Many surviving pieces on collector markets are described as 1920s–1930s, and others could easily have been owned and used through the 1950s.
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Use Period: These were popular through the first half of the 20th century when hand-rolling tobacco was common, including during both World Wars and into the 1950s.
How It Works
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The machine is cylindrical with multiple grooved rollers inside.
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You open the hinged cylinder, lay in abrasive tobacco and a rolling paper, then turn the knurled wheel at the end to compact and roll a cigarette.
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Many collectors describe seeing lettering and arrows engraved on the surface to guide operation.
Construction & Markings
Typical physical features include:
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Metal construction (brass, nickel-plated steel or similar).
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Clear “Evans Patent Concinnum Machine” stamping or engraving.
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Six serrated rollers inside a hinged cylinder to shape the tobacco.
