Coin Slot
Issue: 1976 June 017 - Page 5
Coin Slot Magazine - #017 - 1976 - June [International Arcade Museum]
MILS BONUS BEU
by Les Druyan
Having been a collector of antique mechanicals for several years, I have
had the opportunity to examine a number of interesting items, including
a few oddball slot machines with interesting features. The Mills Bonus
Bell is such a machine.
THE MACHINE
There were a number of different styles of Bonus Bells, the first intro
duced around 1937. The model I was able to look at is cased in the
classic high top design that was so common at the start of the '40's.
During this era the beautiful and ornate decorations of the previous dec
ades were abandoned. The case is steel with wood sides, painted a dull
combination of maroon and gold. The award card is aluminum with the
symbols and amounts painted on. It is riveted to the front of the ma
chine in the standard position, above the Jackpot window.
THE PLAY
The awards are the usual ones, one cherry paying 2, two cherries paying
5, and so forth. What makes this machine interesting, however, is the first
reel, which has the letters B-O-N-U-S printed over five of the standard
symbols. Thus, there is a "B" printed over an orange, and an "0" over a
lemon, etc. On the front of the machine, in the top righthand corner, is a
window. As the letters BONUS show up on first reel payline (in
succession) a corresponding letter pops into view in the window. When
the word BONUS is spelled out, all the letters pop out of view and an
award of 18 coins is paid.
.com
m
:
u
m
e
d fro de-mus
e
d
ca MECHANISM
nloa w.ar THE
w
o
The mechanism
D is //w a w standard Mills machine, with a few improvements.
The BONUS unit
ttp: is a marvel of engineering. I have taken it apart, and re
h
assembled it, and know that it shouldn't work. But it does. Every-time. It
was obviously designed to be added on to machines that were already
assembled, and thus to be appended to older units that were returned to
the company in trade. (The updating of older machines apparently was a
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
MILS BONUS BEU
by Les Druyan
Having been a collector of antique mechanicals for several years, I have
had the opportunity to examine a number of interesting items, including
a few oddball slot machines with interesting features. The Mills Bonus
Bell is such a machine.
THE MACHINE
There were a number of different styles of Bonus Bells, the first intro
duced around 1937. The model I was able to look at is cased in the
classic high top design that was so common at the start of the '40's.
During this era the beautiful and ornate decorations of the previous dec
ades were abandoned. The case is steel with wood sides, painted a dull
combination of maroon and gold. The award card is aluminum with the
symbols and amounts painted on. It is riveted to the front of the ma
chine in the standard position, above the Jackpot window.
THE PLAY
The awards are the usual ones, one cherry paying 2, two cherries paying
5, and so forth. What makes this machine interesting, however, is the first
reel, which has the letters B-O-N-U-S printed over five of the standard
symbols. Thus, there is a "B" printed over an orange, and an "0" over a
lemon, etc. On the front of the machine, in the top righthand corner, is a
window. As the letters BONUS show up on first reel payline (in
succession) a corresponding letter pops into view in the window. When
the word BONUS is spelled out, all the letters pop out of view and an
award of 18 coins is paid.
.com
m
:
u
m
e
d fro de-mus
e
d
ca MECHANISM
nloa w.ar THE
w
o
The mechanism
D is //w a w standard Mills machine, with a few improvements.
The BONUS unit
ttp: is a marvel of engineering. I have taken it apart, and re
h
assembled it, and know that it shouldn't work. But it does. Every-time. It
was obviously designed to be added on to machines that were already
assembled, and thus to be appended to older units that were returned to
the company in trade. (The updating of older machines apparently was a
© The International Arcade Museum
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).