Coin Slot Magazine - #083 - 1982 - January [International Arcade Museum]
Dear Howard,
Thanks. We mean it We've been aware ofthis machine, and
others like it, for some time but had to wait until some collector
from the American market to be replaced by the cherry reels.
But not so in England, where they ran their "Totalizer"
symbols for many more years, and still do.
asked about it, sent in some good photos and . . . had the
Most of these machines started out as Mills Bells, and just
courage to suggest that it was British in use (rather than origin)
about all ofthem had skill buttons added The Mills COUNTER
rather than defend its Americanism past the point of logic
TOTALIZER in Volume 3 did, and so does yours. Your
Let's start by saying that a very similar machine is described
in the new Volume 3 "An Illustrated Price Guide to the 100
Most Collectible Slot Machines". It's the Mills COUNTER
TOTALIZER, a modification ofthe 1926 OPERA TOR BELL
machine also appears to be a Mills 1926 OPERATOR BELL
"Bullseye" with the large window, but the top andfront have
been changed The jackpot front looks like a National or
Service Novelty front based on the Pace STAR, but the fronts
"Bullseye" (for the large anti-slug viewing window) made for
may have been added in England, too. That's why the serial is
the British market The British were hotfor number reels, and
they directly corresponded to the Bell-Fruit-Gum symbols. The
Volume 3 price guide identifies which numbers correspond to
missing. Play is English Id (Yes, a U.S. halfdollar will work)
and date is circa 1930-1938 based on that addedfront As for
which fruit symbols. The British called their number reels
value, this'll hurt The price guide suggests that English
machines — even if they are variations of their American
"Totalizer" reels, and while there was a briefvoguefor them in
counterparts — are worth about a third of their American
America between 1917 and 1929 orso, they literally disappeared
versions. Reconverting to American (but not 50t, that'll reveal
its originfaster than a slug!) will enhance the value, but that's a
shame, too. It's English and should probably be shown that
way. Perhaps we are all being too isolationist in our collecting
— English and European collectors are avid for American
machines— and should go for the foreign machines for just
what they are; interesting and different A lot were shipped over
here in the past 10 years, and now they're rare in England So
maybe we should recognize them as the terrific machines they
are, and once we get a handle on their comparative rarity and
model variations, we may have swans in our duck ponds.
Glad you like the "Slot". We just hope you still do.
Sincerely,
The Editor
Continued on page 8
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PAUL BIECHLER
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1108 Front St, Lisle, IL 60532
January 1982
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