Coin Slot

Issue: 1978 January 036

Coin Slot Magazine - #036 - 1978 - January [International Arcade Museum]
ANOTHER EXCERPT FROM THE
SOON TO BE RELEASED BOOK
"An Illustrated Price Guide to the 100
Most Popular Collectible Slot Machines"
by
Richard M. Bueschel and The Coin Slot.
You have to be pretty sharp of eye and keen of wit to tell the dif
ference between the Mills, Caille, and Watling Bell machines of
the late teens and early twenties.
They all have their distinctive
qualities, but once the oak cabinet came into fashion, the machines
began to look a lot alike.
The Great War, that early and optimistic
name for World War I, had a lot to do with it. Mills started the oak
cabinet in 1915, Caille Bros, in 1916, and Watling by the end of the
year, because America was at war, with the 1918 Mills Operator
Bell looking a lot like the 1916, only it had a redesigned mechanism.
To help identification out, each year for a decade most of the Mills
machines had the model year in the front casting.
By then, Watling
machines looked like Mills machines, and a bunch of new post-WWI
producers made similar Bells.
Only the post-war Caille Bros. Machines looked different, and how!
Caille had a hard time getting back into production after the war.
Losing momentum and trying to break away from the pack and
come to grips with the staggering head-start competition from Mills,
Caille Bros, tried a trick.
history of side handles.
did
By that time, the Bells had a ten year
So Caille put the pull in the middle. They
it by attaching an upside-down "U"-shaped piece of steel to
.com
m
:
u
m
e
mus at the top of a tall pull slot.
d of fro the de machine
coming out of the front
-
e
d
rca was put together the same way. The
No other Bell before
or .a
since
nloa w
w
o
D
w
machine had a modest
://w success when it came out, but not nearly the
success it now
http has over half-a-century later. Because it is so different
the handle shaft on the right side and added a bearing on the left.
A handle was welded to the center of the bridge with the shaft
from other Bell machines it is regarded as an eminent collectible.
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Coin Slot Magazine - #036 - 1978 - January [International Arcade Museum]
Caille called it the VICTORY model, then a popular expression
because of the victory of the Allied Powers of England, France
Italy, America, Japan, and the others over the Central Powers of
Germany, Austria - Hungary and Turkey in The Great War of 1941 -
1918.
Two basic models were produced:
The VICTORY BELL,
with an elaborate cast iron cabinet front on an oak case showing
lightly clad women
in swirling robes; and the VICTORY GUM
VENDER holding packaged gum in vending columns.
By 1923,
the VICTORY BELL was being called the OPERATORS BELL -
because that's what everybody else called their straight gambling
Bells - and the vender model had been redesigned to hold rolls of
mints in two vending columns instead of gum.
A variety of reels — specifically fruit, fortune and card symbols —
were used on the machines.
By then, the Vender was called simply
VICTORY and was knows as the "Victory Mint Vender" or "Victory
Counter Vender".
The machine was being sold until the end of the
twenties, later models having cast aluminum fronts. Some examples
of all models are known.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES WERE SENT TO THE COIN SLOT SO
OUR READERS MIGHT BE INFORMED AS TO THE STATUS OF
CURRENT ASSEMBLY BILL 1056. We need support from all
collectors to get a favorable vote.
1708 East Main Street
Merrill, Wisconsin
7,
Editor
December,
1977
5^52
The Coin Slot
Box 612
Wheatridge,
Dear Mr.
Colorado
80033
Harrisi
.com
m
:
u
m
se T have had with the
u which
I am enclosing copies of correspondence,
d fro de-m
e
Thomas Hanson, State Representative,
and who has introduced a bill
d
nloa w.arca
w
o
D
w
://w
p
t
t
h
In line with previous letters, concerning the possibility of passing a bill in
Wisconsin, which would allow Wisconsin residents to own Slot machines
Honorable
to permit
the owenership of slots
Will keep you informed as to the final outcome, I did send the Honorable James
Rutkowski a letter, in which I expressed ray views—hopefully they will pass the
above mentioned bill?
With kindest regards.
I
am,
Sincerely
© The International Arcade Museum
Jack W.
Nannery
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

Download Page 9: PDF File | Image

Download Page 10 PDF File | Image

Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).

Pro Tip: You can flip pages on the issue easily by using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard.