Coin Slot Magazine - #083 - 1982 - January [International Arcade Museum]
Letters to the Editor continued
MELON detachable jackpot had other advantages.
The
location could buy 2 or3 or morepots and have thempre-loaded
so the moment a pot was hit they unlocked it, made the payout,
Next, we appreciate the photos and serial numbers. Most of
and locked another pot in place. Also, according to Mills
these items have been turned over to the Serial Number Update,
literature, the location could remove thejackpot at closing time
and will show up in a few months. A few comments here. That
and put it in the safe to discourage after-hours robberies ofthe
Mills "Poinsettia " serial 266,090 is actually the FREE PLA Y
jackpots. So, the two holes held the pot, the lock let you take it
off and put it on, and the payout on the three Melon win was
JACKPOT "Poinsettia" with a free play finger that works on
the first reel This machine, and the whole Mills "Free Play"
line, will be covered in an upcoming Coin Slot Guide, No. 99 to
manual
be exact, so you see it is a bit down the line.
missing is thepot We've seen extra "Bursting Cherry"jackpots
at various slot shows, but at the time we didn't realize they were
Now to your big question, and it's a beaut It sent us
scurrying, but here's the story.
Your machine looks like a
CHERRY "Bursting Cherry", or even a BROWNFRONT. But
it is an entirely different machine, and apparently a somewhat
rare Mills escalator Bell from what we can tell Few of the
collectors we've checked have ever even seen one.
The machine is the Mills MELON, and those Melon reel
strips and reward card give it away. And you're absolutely
right The lock doesn't lead to a hand load jackpot, the coins
fall nowhere, nothing happens when you hit three Melons and
there are two apparently useless holes on the front center. And
that's just how the MELON worked, crazy as it seems.
But MELON was crazy as a fox. What's missing is the
detachable jackpot. That's right Detachable. What happened
was... when a player hit three Melons the location owner came
over and unlocked the "Bursting Cherry"jackpot on thefront of
the machine and dumped it outfor theplayer to see. Oftentimes
Your photographs show this feature very well All that's
for the MELON model Now we know, and we know enough to
pick one up. You can probably do the same thing.
Incidentally, the MELON is featured in a recent Serial
Number Update (some have been found in Minnesota), it's
scheduledfor a far-away Coin Slot Guide No. 184, and will be
featured in an upcoming volume of"An Illustrated Price Guide
to the 100 Most Collectible Slot Machines", either volume 4 or
5 we are told
Glad you enjoy our magazine. And ifyou keep up the good
letters, we'll certainly keep up the good work
Sincerely,
The Editor
Dear Editor,
Enclosed are pictures of one ofmy machines unknown in origin.
I find no serial number. Although it has skill buttons and a
the location wouldpack thatjackpot with a five dollar bill plus
a lot of mixed coins. It was a very exciting jackpot
The
.) A II
Saloon Novelties
r Mills CLOVER BELL .. M^
$1,200
25e Jennings STANDARD CH$F i
$1,250
25e Jennings VlGTftJ?y^l||r.,.. '^... $1,150
5e & 25e Jenm^CHAj|^i^ H,. • • $1,700
5c Jennings STANDARD CHffef, $8tf|£-''|1'200
5e Mills WARMCIM^^^^. If.... $1,600
5e Mills CASTLE FRSiw,"|eSfwd$!.... $1,650
w/side vender .*; „..>,*. /• i * :VIfT\V>
$1,650
5e Mills "7-7-7" |ig|t^^lQM^^ *> • • • • $1,350
le Caille Jusior Bdl Trade'S^jl^l
$650
U Fields 3 JFACK&, nice origi^/f^
$600
Midland Cig^l^hter^^^i^^\^^J
Mills SWOR^s^kij^^^^^v^llv
$350
$350
Mills lock a«$ fagjC;^- ~-]'fHQ&W$'m' each *18
Wooden Zen&meitud^
2 Cigar Clippers, good shape
... each $25
om
m.c
each $225
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D 819
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J & II Saloon
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(312) 464-5661
6 — THE COIN SLOT
© The International Arcade Museum
horizontal shaft above the reels and another horizontal shaft
below and toward the front of the reels, the remaining skill parts are
missing. Can you tell me what the missing parts were? Since the
reel strips were from London and the size of coin could be the
large English penny (would a U.S. half dollar work?), the
machine must have been used in England in its heyday. I haven't
spent enough time operating it to tell what reel combinations pay
what awards and since the machine has no card, it will be
analyzed by deduction from the payoff holes in the reel disks.
Please send me any information you can on the type, year,
revamp, skill button mechanism arrangement, value, or other.
You might also suggest the serial number location.
I look forward to every issue of the "slot"!
j
Yours truly,
Howard Cohen
January 1982
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