Coin Slot Magazine - #085 - 1982 - March [International Arcade Museum]
A few — very few — half dollar and dollar machines were
when Las Vegas was added, the slots changed forever. While
made in the teens and 1920s, most often appearing in
speakeasy locations where it wasfeltpeople had money to burn.
most machines were still nickel or quarter, the popularity ofa
bigger take — and win for the player — added a substantial
Many of the Skelly SKELLY BELL machines found to date
number of50€ and dollar machines. Pace, an early Nevada
have larger coins.
supplier, staged a coup when it introduced its 50C "Silver Star*
With the depression a great change in attitude toward money
values accompanied the loss of employment and depressed
economy. Right about then, in 1930 and 1931 (while the
depression theoretically started in October 1929 no one knew it
then. It took a year of dropping productivity and the ultimate
loss ofjobs that both the government and the public knew that
something was economically wrong) most of the slot machine
makers introduced penny models and nickel models that gave
two playsfor one coin. They had a voguefor about three orfour
years, with the nickel still the most popular. As the economy
came back to life, the quarter machine began to get popular
again, as well as dime, and theforties ended with nickel, dime
and quarter machines getting most of the production.
Then came World War 2, and the end of slot machine
production. To make more money on their machines many
operators converted them to 50t play, or at least a quarter.
When the war was over, while the nickel machine was still
popular, it was the quarter and dime machines that were the
most popular.
and$l "Gold Star* models in 1945 and 1946. From that day
forward the bigger coins accountedfor a substantialpart ofslot
machine production.
About that time slots were made illegal in most parts of the
country, and finally were cut off with the Johnson Act in
January 1951. With that, virtually all slots — except those in
Nevada — were running illegally. And ifit was illegal, why not
get the most out ofthem. So the clandestine operators preferred
quarter, half dollar and dollar machines. Nickel and dime
machines still ran, ofcourse, but in equal or smaller numbers
than the larger denomination coins.
That about wraps it for the antique mechanical games. The
nickel and quarter are preferred by collectors because they
work well and generally were used in older machines. 50C and
dollar machines, with rare exceptions, are post-World War 2
machines. A nd dime machines? They are as troublesome today
for the collector as they were for the old operators. Penny
machines are very specifically dated in most cases between
1930 and 1934, so ifyou*re interested in other periods oftime,
penny machines are few and far between. There is something
It was about this time that Nevada became the mecca for
else to watch outfor. There is no coin in the world the size ofthe
Continued on page 8
chance taking, and the Reno run became a popular one. Later,
SLOT MACHINE PEDESTAL
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other features
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March,
1982 Arcade Museum
©
The International
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or
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THE COIN SLOT—7
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