The six brass spinning tops above are native to Gozo, Malta. The letters are in Italian, a language widely spoken in Malta in the past, and stand for Paga (pay), Mezzo (half), Niente (nothing) and Tutto (everything). My research has led me to believe that this game originated from Italy, as they have an identically marked one there, however the letters represent different words.

Wooden four sided spinning top entirely hand carved out of what seems to be Olive wood, marked M,T,P,N in the same fashion as the six tops above. Country of origin : Malta

Bronze four sided spinnig top marked P,M,N and a crown/tower instead of the usual T. Possibly meant to signify that who wins everything is now the king of the game? Only example marked in this way which I have seen so far. Country of origin : Malta

Wooden four sided spinning top (Baddarincu) faithfully reproduced in the traditional style by Sardignian crastsmen and donated to my by Mr. Diola, curator of the Sardignian Toy Museum, Italy. It is marked M,T,P,N in a similar fashion to the tops found in Malta but the letters stand for Mesu (half), Totu (everything), Poni (put), Nudda (nothing). Country of origin : Italy

Classic put and take tops (Unknown material, brass, zinc plated steel, brass). Age: (Unknown/Unknown/ 1970's )Country of origin : UK

Brass put and take top with unusual markings. One in, Two in, One out, Two out, All pay, Take pool. Estimated 1960's-1970's. Country of origin : UK

Brass put and take top with unusual way of marking the numbers (these are usually marked as words, not as numbers). Pre 1960. Country of origin : UK

Brass eight sided put and take top with an unusually thick spinning tip. Markings are P1, P2, P3, AP, T1, T2, T3, TA. 1940's-1950's? Country of origin : UK

Two modern six sided put and take tops made out of aluminium, coloured though the anodizing process. These tops are marked P1, P2, AP, TA, T2, TA. Age: 2007. Country of origin : USA

Early wooden put and take top with paper label. (est. Pre WW2) Country of origin : USA

Modern solid brass six sided put and take top This top was first cast to shape and thenr efined on a lathe. The unusual (for a put and take top) shape sets it apart. Age: 2006 Country of origin : USA

Two plastic eight sided spinning tops from 1970's-80's, one blank, and the other with put and take markings. Sourced in France

11 plastic gumball machine, six sided put and take style spinning tops in various conditions with possibly erroneous markings. These tops are marked P1, P2, P3, T1, T2, T3, which goes against the typical configuration which would have "Put All" and a "Take All" amongst the markings, which would allow the game to flourish considerably, and eventually also end. Age: 1960's. Country of origin : USA

Brass six sided put and take top with an atypical stem design Possibly 1950's? Country of origin : USA

Stainless steel six sided put and take top. Markings are P1, P2, AP, T1, T2, TA. Country of origin : USA

Brass six sided put and take top with short body and long stem.

Brass six sided put and take top with unusual markings: P1, P2, ALL PUT, T1, T2, TAKE ALL Age : Unknown. Country of origin: England.

Classic brass six sided put and take spinning top. Age: Unknown Country of origin: England.

Classic brass six sided put and take spinning top. Note the word "TWO" struck twice. A factory second that got away? Age: Unknown Country of origin: England.

Six sided put and take spinning top charm made out of sheet Sterling silver. Age: 1960's Country of origin: England.

Eight sided put and take top with paper sticker made out of some early type of hard plastic. Country of origin : USA

Hollow brass eight sided put and take spinning top. Country of origin : USA

Modern made ten sided brass put and take spinning top. Definitely for high stakes games since the markings are PUT ONE, PUT TWO, PUT THREE, PUT FIVE, ALL PUT, TAKE ONE, TAKE TWO, TAKE THREE, TAKE ALL, SPIN AGAIN. Country of origin : UK

Five put and take tops in German. (2 wooden, 3 plastic) Country of origin : Germany / Austria

Bakelite six sided put and take top marked in German but originating from Austria. This top has been entirely hand made, as can be evidenced by the irregular font as well as the faint carving and turning marks visible in various places where polishing has not completely erased them. Possibly a unique piece, this top dates back to the 1930's

Wooden early six-sided put and take top in German. Country of origin : Austria

Two differently designed six-sided bakelite put and take spinning tops in German. Country of origin : Austria.

Two hand-made six-sided bone put and take spinning tops in German. Pre 1940. Country of origin : Austria

Eight sided celluloid put and take in German advertising Nicco Schnellputz (Nicco quick drying plaster?) The markings on this top use different words as those regularly found on Nimm-Gib style of spinning tops and so are the stakes. Gewinnt 1, Gewinnt 3, Gewinnt 10, Verliert 1, Verliert 2, Verliert 3, Verliert 5, Alle Verl 1. (Win 1, Win 3, Win 10, Lose 1, Lose 2, Lose 3, Lose 5, Everybody Loses 1) Age, 1920's. Country of origin : Germany

Two differently designed six-sided bakelite put and take spinning tops in German. Country of origin : Austria.

Three different six-sided brass put and take spinning tops in German. Age: 1950's-1960's. Country of origin : Austria.

Two, six sided brass put and take in German. The markings on this top use different words from those regularly found on Nimm-Gib style of spinning tops. Nimm 1, Nimm 2, Nimm ROMA, Setze 1, Setze 2, Jeder Setze. (Take 1, Take 2, Take Everything (?), Set (put) 1, Set 2, Everybody Sets) Age, 1950's-1960's. Country of origin : Austria

Eight sided brass put and take in German. The first thing which strikes te eye about this top is its size - easily twice the size of a typical put and take top. The markings on this top also differ from those regularly found on Nimm-Gib style of spinning tops and use an unusual mix of upper and lower case letter and punctuation points: NiM.1. , NiM.2. , NiM.3. , NiM.TOP. , SETZ.1. , SETZ.2. , SETZ.3. , JED.SEZ. (Take 1, Take 2, Take 3, Take Everything (?), Set (put) 1, Set 2, Set 2, Everybody Sets) Age, 1950's-1960's. Country of origin : Austria

Six sided put and take top in French, made of bakelite. Broken shaft neatly repaired and strengthened on the inside. The shaft, body and tip of this top unscrew into three separate pieces and the inside of the body is hollow. Country of origin : France

Six sided plastic put and take top in French. Age unknown. Country of origin : Belgium

Six sided brass put and take spinning top in French. Possibly 1930's. Country of origin : France

Six sided wooden put and take spinning top in French. Age unknown. Country of origin : France

Two, Six sided metal put and take spinning tops in French. Worth noting that these tops are cast, not machined. Age unknown. Country of origin : France

Six sided put and take top in Dutch. Material and age unknown. Country of origin : Belgium

Four six sided hollow plastic Toma Todo spinning tops. This is the Mexican interpretation of the Put & Take concept. These tops are traditionally made out of wood and are generally six sided. Country of origin : Mexico

Six sided bone spinning top with broken shaft. Marked A, B, S, D, T, N. Possibly some sort of gambling game? The use for this top is completely obscure to me - If you know anything about it please contact me on the email address at the bottom of this page! Age unknown. Country of origin : Netherlands

Indonesian Belankai gambling spinner. A diagram is drawn with the representative sides, bets are placed and the spinner is spun. Possibly plastic with bamboo shaft. High precision design. Country of origin : Java, Indonesia

Set of six spinning top games by the name of Lido Top. Possibly manufactured in the Netherlands.

Early type plastic six-sided top marked 1,1,1,2,X,X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Sourced in Malta, possibly Dutch.

Metal six sided top marked 1,1,2,2,X,X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Country of origin : Germany.

Six sided, plastic spinning top advertising Brylcreem hair cream from the 1960's. This top is numbered 1,1,1,2,2,3 and was used in the Netherlands to help suggest possible football (soccer) match outcomes for a competition known as the "Toto Competition". 1 means "home team wins", 2 means "visitors win", and 3 means "draw". Some bias towards the home team makes itself evident here! Country of origin : Netherlands/Belgium

Wooden eight sided top marked 1,1,1,1,2,2,X,X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Country of origin : Germany.

Brass six sided top marked 1,1,2,2,X,X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Age 1950's-1960's Country of origin : Austria.

Wooden six sided top marked TIP 1, TIP 1, TIP 2, TIP 2 ,TIP X, TIP X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Age: 1970's- .Country of origin : Austria.

Wooden six sided top marked 1,1,2,2,X,X, possibly from a football (soccer) lotto game. Age: 1950's-1960's. Country of origin : Austria.

Six sided plastic spinning top with two different markings on each side. One numbered 1-6, and the other side numbered 0-1-1-1-2-2 for use in (typically) Dutch "Toto" football lottery. Advert reads "NIVEA ZAHNPASTA" (Nivea toothpaste). Country of origin : Germany

Two sided wooden spinning top marked Pile and Face. These markings represent the French version of Heads (Face) and Tails (Pile). Age unknown, possibly 1980's or earlier. Country of origin : France

Unmarked four sided brass spinning top. Very delicately made and difficult to spin due to the long slender stem and narrow body. Country of origin : USA

Six sided wooden spinning top in french, listing various different love related phrases. It is used to playfully decide whether one loves an other or not. Phrases are : "Passionnément (passionately), à la folie (madly), pas du tout (not at all), Je T'aime (I love you), un peu (a little bit), beacoup (a lot). Age 1990's-2000's. Country of origin : France

Transport game utilising a hollow plastic six sided spinning top marked with letters and images printed on a paper label, corresponding to the board. Instructions in Dutch and English. 1960's. Country of origin : Netherlands

Six sided brass spinning top marked with the names of famous English and Irish racing horses from the 1920's. Marked Shaun Spadah, Yutoi, Orpheus, Leighton, Alan Breck, Tishy, Soranus. Country of origin : UK

Plated brass two-tiered, six sided spinning top dating back to the 1920's.
Upper level partially worn, reading PATENTED APRIL 1921. Probably manufactured by Spinim. Markings read as follows:
Upper level: DISQ, 5 1, 4 1, 8-1, 6-1, 2-1.
Lower level: MAN-O-WAR, MORVICH, ZEV, SPARK PLUG, GREY LAG, COLIN. Country of origin : USA

Brass (might have been chrome plated at some point in the past) two-tiered, six sided spinning top numbered dating back to the 1920's. Upper level, reading ODDS ON PAT APP FOR. Markings read as follows:
Upper level: DISQ, 10-, 2-1, 4-1, 6-1, 8-1.
Lower level: GOLDEN CORN, SICYON, SCAMP, HARRIER, ENVOY, YUTOI. Country of origin : UK

Chrome plated brass six sided, two-tiered Crown and Anchor spinning top. No maker's mark but possibly made by the same company making the Odds On spinning tops. Country of origin : UK

Bone six sided spinning top with bamboo shaft called a ch'é mé (teetotum), used in the game of PÁT CHA. Country of origin : China.

Bone six sided spinning top of Asian origin. Age unknown.

Two, 6-sided spinning tops made of stained wood, each having different orientations to the spots. Country of origin : Germany

Brass six sided spinning top marked 1-6 in spots. Country of origin : UK

Metal four sided spinning top, early 1920's. Country of origin : USA

A porcelain six sided spinning top, approximately 1900's-1920's, marked "Japan" on the underside. Country of origin : Japan

Six sided wooden spinning top, possibly of French/Belgian origin. Numbered 1-6 in spots. The hand numbering is slightly irregular, and the arrangement of the numbers is such that opposite sides do not add up to 7, as is conventional on six sided dice and dice shaped randomising devices. Age of this top is possibly 1800's, and traces of the original colouring (red paint) can still be seen in some places, however, age, and possibly previous owners have polished the wooden surfaces almost to perfection

Traditional Dadu hand crafted spinning tops from the island of Timor decorated with pips and circles, numbered 1-6. Every one made is a unique piece since these are traditional handcrafts and are not mass produced. Timorese people often choose to spin these dadu in a well used and smoothed out coconut bowl instead of the dirt (dust) of the villages. The dadu shown are made of the following materials: redwood, bamboo, cow bone on bamboo shafts, buffalo horn on bamboo shaft. (age unknown)

Round plastic spinning top numbered 1-5 with smiling star shape un the under-side. Marked Carl Karcher Enterprises Inc. - An American restaurant franchise. The star shape allows for a reliable 5-sided configuration despite the round shape of this top and is also the logo of the franchise.

Boxed spinning top set known as the "PA-DI-CA-CO" set of THREE Joy Tops. This set consisting of three different tops made out of cast metal (cast iron?) ; A six sided spinning dice top marked 1-6 in spots (referred to as a Spots Top on the box), a four sided spinning top marked with card suits (referred to as Fair and Square on the box), and a six sided put and take spinning top (referred to as a Put & Take on the box). Made by The Patent Die-Castings Co. Ltd, 64, Strode Road, Willesden Green, London. N.W. 10. Age: 1920's-1930's Country of origin: England.

Three, six sided spinning dice erasers with plastic shafts by L1 Products Ltd, Lutterworth, England. (Made in Taiwan).

Two plastic six sided spinning tops numbered 1-6, typically found in christmas crackers. 1980's Country of origin : UK

Five plastic six sided spinning tops advertising Phoenix Yarns, a Dutch company manufacturing spinning yarns, with a factory in Tilburg, Holland and an other one in Thurles, Ireland. These spinning tops are about 60mm wide and seem to be made out of an older type of plastic. Pre 1980 Country of origin : Nederlands

Six sided brass spinning top numbered 1-5 in square spots, with a pointed bottom (similar to the puncture made with a square nail), and "Miss Blanche" instead of the number 6. The "Miss Blanche" in question, being a Dutch brand of cigarettes dating back to the mid 1920's. This advertising item dates back to the 1930's. Country of origin : Nederlands

Six sided spinning top numbered 1-6 in spots. Possible 1940's-1950's bakelite. Sourced in Malta.

Six sided spinning top marked 1-6 in spots and made of bakelite. This top could possibly be called a wobbler since the almost flat tip causes it to wobble and move around wildly seconds after it is set to spin. Age 1950's. Country of origin: France.

Six sided spinning top marked 1-6 in spots with broken tip. Bakelite, possible 1950's. Country of origin : Germany

Bakelite two-tiered, six sided spinning top in two colours with turned, painted, wooden shaft and is numbered 1-6 in spots. Upper level reads "SPINIM" U.S. PAT.1374243. Dates back to 1921 and originally called a "rotatable dice" by its creators. Patent for this top available here Country of origin : USA

Brass two-tiered, six sided spinning top numbered 1-6 in spots dating back to the 1920's.
Upper level reads "SPINIM" PAT'D APR 12-21. Country of origin : USA

Chrome plated brass, two-tiered, six sided spinning top numbered in spots. Very different construction to Spinim and Odds On spinning tops. Age unknown. Country of origin : USA

Wooden six sided spinning top of German make numbered 1-6 in spots. The main distinguishing characteristic of this spinning top is its size, which comes in at 100mm / 4 inches in height.

Aluminium six sided spinning top of German make numbered 1-6 in spots. The main distinguishing characteristic of this spinning top is its size, which comes in at 100mm / 4 inches in height.

Six sided spinning top numbered 1-6 in spots with what seems to be an ivory body and a bone shaft. The characteristic feature of this spinning top is the irregular shape of the hexagonal body, despite which it spins very well. Age: 1800's. Country of origin : England.

Five different wooden spinning tops given to me by a local craftsman. These are made in a way similar to older hand made spinning tops. Four, six, seven and eight sided. Country of origin: Malta

Wooden eight sided spinning top numbered 1-8 in numerals. These were frequently used in Malta, in easter time by cake sellers, whereby punters chose a number, spun the top, and won a "figolla" (traditional Maltese easter pastry) if either their number showed, or the rolled the highest number on the top (in this case, eight). I have heard of one top in particular which has been rigged up to give the seller an unfair advantage over the punters (since cheating is part of human nature!) and am in the process of making a replica from descriptions given to me. Country of origin : Malta

Eight sided spinning top numbered 1-8 in concentric circles with ivory body, bone shaft and what appears to be either cork, or wood, uniting the body and shaft. The ivory and bone on this top can be told apart from the blood veins (darker stains) which are clearly visible in the shaft, whereas lacking on the main body. Late 1800's to early 1900's. Country of origin : Malta

Bakelite eight sided spinning top marked 1-7 in pips, and an engraving of a woman in traditional costume in place of the number eight. This top could have been entirely hand made, as can be seen in the detail shot of the engraving of the woman, as well as the alignment of the spots. Possibly a unique piece, this top dates back to the 1930's. Country of origin : Austria

Ten sided spinning top numbered 1-9 in spots and having the tenth side left blank. There is a dark red gemstone (unidentified to date) set at the top of its shaft. Possibly pre 1950's. Country of origin : Austria.

Two different brass ten sided spinning tops of Maltese origin. No confirmation yet regarding the use of these spinning tops, but probably similar to the wooden 8 sided top above - with better odds for the cake seller!

Twelve sided bone teetotum from Victorian times, numbered 1-12 (possibly with ink) in alternating black and red colours. Country of origin, England.

Dreidel shaped spinning top with advertisement for Morte Subite - Belgian beer. Markings on this top read: Buy me a MORT SUBITE, Tournée générale, Kiss me, Sing a song. Country of origin : Belgium

Brass dreidel from the American Girl 18 inch dolls Hanukkah set. Country of origin : USA

Classic Jewish Hanukkah dreidel.

Disney Winnie the Pooh dreidels for children's games in Hanukkah.

Four mini-dreidels made out of wood and painted in different colours with gold lettering.

Four wooden spinning dice from the German children's guessing game Hexerei (Witchcraft), by Haba games. The interesting part in the design of these tops is that they do not spin on the tip of their shaft as this is in fact inexistent When spun strongly they will go off balance and spin steadily on a corner of the cube making up the body of the spinning top and eventually settling with one marked face up, giving a reliably random result. (1997) Country of origin : Germany

Spinning top game for two players put out by Ferrero (Kinder Surprise chocolate egg manufacturer) in Germany in 1999, called "Wer fütter den hund?!" (Who is going to feed the dog?). Spinning top in 2 different colours, one per game. Country of origin : Germany

Spinning top game for two players put out by Ferrero (Kinder Surprise chocolate egg manufacturer) in Germany in 2000, called "Wen küsst die Prinzessin?" (Who is going to kiss the Princess?). Country of origin : Germany

Two spinning top games in different colours for two players put out by Ferrero (Kinder Surprise chocolate egg manufacturer) in Germany , called "Raupenwettlauf?" (Worm race). Country of origin : Germany

Spinning top game for two players put out by Ferrero (Kinder Surprise chocolate egg manufacturer) in Germany in 1992, called "Wer wird Maharadscha?" (Who is Maharadscha going to become?). Country of origin : Germany

Eight sided plastic spinning top accompanying the 1984 Barbie Peaches and Cream doll. Despite the large quantities produced, this doll is highly collectible now and MIB examples fetch a very good price. The top comes with two different cardboard inserts, the one on the left used to decide the style in which Barbie should wear her gown, and the one on the right used to decide where Barbie's should go for her date :)

Sugoroku Koma - Although not strictly a spinning top in itself, this Japanese randomising device still makes use of a spinning top to achieve its results. It is made up of a stand with a lipped "bowl-shaped" depression at the uppermost part inside which a top with a specially grooved tip is spun. When the top stops spinning, the grooved tip catches on the lip of the stand and instead of falling off, the top will rest sideways. The base of the stand has Japanese characters for numbers from 1 to 6, and whichever one the stem of the top is pointing to will be the result. Country of origin : Hong Kong

Two different ceramic/porcelain spinning top games for the social enjoyment of Sake (Japanese rice wine). The objective of the game seems to be to spin the top and fill whichever of the three masks shows up on the top with Sake. (Instructions included with this game were in Japanese so more details on this game will be made available when I can find somebody to translate them for me) Country of origin: Japan

Six sided plastic spinning top advertising Ford cars, with the names of different models being offered by Ford in Europe. 1980's Country of origin : Belgium

Brass spinning coin advertising LOWENBRÄU beer. These spinning coins are generally used to determine who will pay the next round of drinks at the pub.

Brass spinning coin put out by the German Society for shipwreck rescue. These spinning coins are generally used to determine who will pay the next round of drinks at the pub.

Eight sided metal spinning top geocoin used to determine which geocache to hunt for. Geocaching is a form of treasure hunting activity using GPS (Global Positioning System)

More coming soon !

If you have any tops for sale or wish to trade tops please contact me on: