Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #014 - 1975 - December [International Arcade Museum]
ted by only one known surviving example. That makes them extraordinarily
interesting, but not necessarily regarded as rare, or even more valuable.
This is particularly true in the case of prototypes, or "first models" of mach
ines that may or may not have gone into volume production. Rarity, therefore,
is in the eye of the beholder. A true slot machine rarity is generally regards
ed by most collectors as a machine that was produced in volume, sold in
quantity, and survives as a single example, or just a few examples.
There is such a machine in the ROL-A-TOP line. It looks very much like
the standard "Horn-of-Plenty" ROL-A-TOP Bell model with its rotary esca
lator and the Future Play indicator. The difference is that it takes both nick
els and quarters, giving a single play on a nickel and five plays for a quarter.
Introduced in the spring of 1938 as the 5 head unique enough to be patented. It hit the market soon after the Jennings
TRIPLEX CHIEF, a multiple-coin Bell machine that played nickels, dimes
and quarters. But the TRIPLEX CHIEF looked bulky, and different than the
standard CHIEF.
Not so with the 5 It didn't look any
different than the standard ROL-A-TOP models. The entire coin-mixing
mechanism was incorporated in the same area as the standard ROL-A-TOP
escalator. Only the denominator plug in the center disk of the escalator
marked the difference.
It merely said "5 But why the rarity of the machine? No one seems to know. It was first
advertised in The Billboard in the May 7, 1938 issue, and a few times after
that. And that was it! It was carried, and presumably sold, for some time
after that, but was no longer in the line a year or so later. But why? The
possible reason is curious, and may account for its rarity. The mechanism
was worked out by Burns Watling, the engineering genius of the Watling bro
thers, sons of old Tom Watling, the founder of the firm. Even though Burns
had solved a mechanical problem better and neater than the competition,
practically every slot machine manufacturer was trying to solve the multiple-
coin problem at the same time. Burns wasn't last, but he was late. The
patent application was made on June 30? 1938 almost two months after they
had raced the machine to production, and sale. At that point there was a
question of whether the patent would be issued at all. The normal wait was
about a year.
But when a year was up, and the patent still wasn't issued,
the Watling firm had its neck way out, and might have been liable to law
suits from other manufacturers. That probably took the machine off of the
market.
The patent finally did come through—three years after application (Patent
No. 2, 243, 929, Patented June 3, 1941).. By that time the whole idea had
gone flat, and multiple-coin Bells were old hat. One of the few really uni
que Watling machines had lost its chance at fame, and financial success.
Just how rare is the 5 That's hard to say, because
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So take another look
at your ROL-A-TOP. If it's a 5 :
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rarity. And if
ht it isn't and no one can find one, it's the rarest ROL-A-TOP
there maybe quite a few around that their owners believe are standard ROL-
A-TOP models. As of right now, however, none are known to exist 1 A
check of trades, auctions and sales for the last three years reveals no mul
tiple-coin ROL-A-TOPS. Maybe some of them were, but the records don't
indicate it.
of all—produced in volume, sold in quantity, with none remaining.
© 1975 by Richard M. Bueschel
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
i