Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to produce good results, to ‘come up with’ (money).

1908		N.Y. Eve. Journal 17 Sept. in Fleming Unforgettable Season (1981) 223: I would be the first to ‘produce’ for a medal for Hank.
1908		Sun. Times (Perth) 14 June 4/7: They were invariably bluffed off until they produced and dropped a penny in the slot.
1917		‘A-No. 1’ From Coast to Coast with Jack London 19: There were the ‘hunger lanes,’ thus nicknamed by the Wandering Willies because [...] the populace [...] refused to ‘produce’ in response to further ‘battering’ for alms.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 45: ‘Well, we produced, didn’t we?’ exulted the Chief.
1938		H. Drake-Brockman Men Without Wives I i: She’ll caution you, me boy, and me too, if we don’t produce the goods.
1949		W.R. Burnett Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 168: If they don’t produce, I’ll have ’em transferred to Shinetown.