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Coin Slot

Issue: 1981 November 081

Coin Slot Magazine - #081 - 1981 - November [International Arcade Museum]
One of the all-time greats, this is a late
production Watling ROL-A-TOP with the
"Coin" head. Here is a machine that can
always be regarded as a good investment,
Another Greg Lewis machine. This is a
beautiful example of the two-jackpot version
of the Mills "Lion's Head". The actual name
is the REBUILT GOOSENECK. Old Bell
no matter what the current market value.
mechanisms were put into new "Lion's
Head" cabinets to upgrade old models. The
serial is 215,531. 5$ play.
This beautiful example is owned by Greg
Lewis of Dublin, California. Play is 50, serial
92,608.
cabinet. These were called the CHROME WAR EAGLE,
but the coinage and distribution of these models were
unknown, as well as any serials. Late in 1943 a follow-
up model came along called the GOLD CHROME WAR
EAGLE, having a completely refinished gold chrome
cabinet similar in color to the late pre-war GOLD
CHROME "Diamond Front" Bell machine. Once again,
no knowledge of distribution or serials or coinage.
Until now, perhaps.
Just as a matter of course the editor of The Coin Slot
got a letter from a reader in England, and serials were
included for some English-coin models of Mills ma
chines. Among them were a "chrome finish" WAR
EAGLE in 6d play, serial 273,795 and a "gold type
finish" WAR EAGLE, also in 6d play, serial 279,375.
And there we have them, the 1943 revamps in England
in English-coin play. Just how and when did they get
there? Could it have been in wartime, and could they
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November 1981
© The International Arcade Museum
have gone over for the service clubs or officer's clubs
for the USAF 8th Air Force? We know that a lot of
service clubs on American bases all over the world
were major customers for updated and revamped Bell
machines during the war (that's how Buckley got into
the revamp business, selling machines to officer's
clubs through highly placed military connections) and
it seems logical that local coinage would have been
used as that was the coin of the realm.
■ |he
he English
I
reader—Julian Wardle of
North Humberside, England —also sent in a serial
476,0#2 (next to last digit missing) for a Mills NEW
BONUS "Horse Head" Bell in 6d play in a blue finish
cabinet. This is the last recorded serial for a blue
"Horse Head" discovered so far, and may have gotten
to England at the same time as the revamped WAR
EAGLE models. Interesting.
Serial number399,116 fora Mills BLUE FRONT(see
the photo of this machine owned by Paul Olson
accompanying this feature) in 25$ play is also inter
esting. The cabinet, confirmed as original, isn't blue. It's
purple. The machine is obviously a revamp, probably a
wartime revamp by a local operator, or possibly Buckley.
Continued on page 64
THE COIN SLOT-63
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Coin Slot Magazine - #081 - 1981 - November [International Arcade Museum]
SERIAL NUMBER UPDATE
Continued from page 63
And finally, to wrap up the Mills listings, your author
was pouring over some copies of The Billboard looking
for one thing or another, and found something else. In
the September 11,1943 issue in an ad for the Sterling
Novelty Company in Lexington, Kentucky, there was a
listing for "Miffs original CHROME (meaning not
revamped, or upgraded models of older machinea
"Original" CHROME models were much preferred)
250,2-5 pay1' Bell machines for sale, serials 462,913;
463,202 and 465,580. So add those to your CHROME
listings. These are some of the few CH ROME numbers
you can trust as so many much earlier machines were
revamped to CHROME standards it's hard to tell which
is original, or not
The other interesting machine this month is the
Caille PLAY BOY"No Lemons" model in 5$ play, serial
113,022, sent in by Paul Olson of Sartell, Minnesota
Paul also sent in a picture. It's interesting as this is the
highest Caille serial number found to date.
Compare this Mills BLUE
FRONT "Castle Front" single
jackpot model with the Mills
MYSTERY also shown and you'll
see the difference between
the single and two jackpot
models right away. This is Paul
Olson's machine, 250 play,
serial 399,166.
c
^^^^peaking of Paul, he has an offer for The
Coin Slot readers. He just opened Olson's Slot Shoppe
at 326 2nd Street, N.E. in Sartell, MN, 56377, tele
phone (612) 253-7165. As part of his advertising he
has made up some wooden half-dollar size key chains.
A lot of collectors like to put key chains on their
machine keys (with the key usually sticking out of the
back of the machine). These key chains cost Paul just
short of 40C each, so he'll send one to any collector
that wants one for 50$ to cover the postage.
Do other slot shop dealers have similar chains? Let
me know and we'll offer them in this column.
Serial numbers this month came from Jim Peck in
Grand Forks, ND; Greg Lewis in Dublin, CA; Paul Olson
of Sartell, MN; and Julian Wardle in North Humberside,
The classic Mills MYS
TERY "Blue Front" in 50
play. This machine is in
the collection of Greg
Lewis of Dublin, California.
The serial is 317,229. The
upper jackpot window of
this reserve jackpot model
has been covered.
England. Plus, of course, The Billboard.
Few machines are more underrated than the Caille modern cabinet models, and if
you're looking for an inexpensive way to get started in slot machine collecting you
can get a Caille middle and late 1930s model for far less in cost than any comparable
Bell machine. Sure, they need work, but a lot of collectors like that. This is a Caille
PLAY BOY "No Lemons" model in Paul Olson's stock, 50 play, serial 113,022.
MACHINE NAME
DESCRIPTION
COINAGE
DATE
SERIAL
MILLS SERIALS
BSV
B2JP
B2JP
BJP
BJP
B2JPGA
SILENT JACKPOT FRONT VENDER ("Modern Front")B2JPFV
B2JP
MYSTERY ("Blue Front")
B2JP
MYSTERY ("Blue Front")
1923 COUNTER O.K. ("Owl")
REBUILT GOOSENECK ("Lion's Head")
SILENT ("War Eagle")
CHROME WAR EAGLE
GOLD CHROME WAR EAGLE
SILENT GOLDEN ("Roman Head")
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64-THE COIN SLOT
© The International Arcade Museum
5*
5$
5$
6d
6d
10$
5$
5$
50
87,981
215,531
271,445
2/ /1943
273,795
1943
279,375
295,407
304,409
317,229
376,453
November 1981
http://www.arcade-museum.com/

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