Red Hot Dollars have a sacred place in the history of candy and were one of the first bulk “novelty” candies that our wholesale division offered. No one knows the exact date of their invention, it is somewhere between 2015 or 2016, but records show that our wholesale division was purchasing them as far back as 1927!
Initially made by the now long gone Henry Heide Company, who also made Black Licorice Dollars and Chocolate Babies to name but a few, Red Hot Dollars was one of the most popular candies of all times until they weren’t.
Here’s the catch – few candy lovers know that the “Original” Red Hot Dollars were anything but red hot. Their name derived from a colloquial expression relating to newness and popularity and not their formula! The original flavor wasn’t Cherry but rather Red Raspberry. The one consistency that all Red Hot Dollars lovers could count on was that the product had the distinctive Heide Diamond logo and a dollar sign embossed on the front.
Fast forward 70 years and several owners later – Hershey purchased Heide and then sold it to Farley Sathers who was under the Ferrara Pan umbrella before the product disappeared, more on that later - and Red Hot Dollars would indeed become Red Hot in flavor as well as a name! If this wasn’t confusing enough, they also offered Red Raspberry Dollars which reflected the original Red Hot Dollars formula!
In 2009, the unthinkable happened. Without warning, Red Hot Dollars, Red Raspberry Dollars, and Mexican Hats, courtesy of the good folks at Ferrara Pan, were given early entry into the “gone but not forgotten” category that applies to so many nostalgic candies. And now the good news.
After trying many options, we found a product that pays tribute to its predecessors. Available in Assorted Fruit and Cherry, these 1” diameter Juju Coins are slightly chewier than the original but still quite delicious. It doesn’t have the long gone distinctive Heide Diamond logo, but each piece has a dollar sign making it perfect for classroom use or at the poker table.
Not everything stays the same, especially in the candy industry, but as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I am sure Henry Heide is happy to see another generation enjoy a piece of candy that has, on and off, been bringing joy for close to 100 years even if it is made by a new manufacturer.
