Coin Slot

Coin Slot Magazine - #072 - 1981 - February [International Arcade Museum]
scores going into the millions. By the beginning of 1949 all
after the 1959-1961 era. Sometime around 1960 wooden
side rails (the rails that hold the playfield glass) gave way
manufacturers had adopted 'million scoring' and this was
true of all non reel-scoring games to come. It is interesting
to stainless steel. Also about that time, score indicating by
lights on single player games gave way to digital scoring
to note that 'million scoring' is reappearing in some of the
solid state pinballs of 1980! Games made in the decade of
changes occured during that period. All amusement
reels. Gottlieb produced a single player digital scoring
game (UNIVERSE) in 1959, reverted back to light scoring
for awhile, but by mid 1960 went completely to reel
pinballs had flippers and scores which
the fifties are probably the hardest to date since few major
ran into the
scoring. Williams, on the other hand, did not go to reel
millions, except for multi-player reel scoring games. The
scoring on single players until mid 1961, except for the few
first multi-player game was made in late 1954 (Gottlieb's
SUPER JUMBO), therefore all wood rail multi-player
million scoring games in 1953 mentioned earlier.
games were made between 1954 and the end of the
occured. All games made before that (except for some
In late 1964 and early 1965 another major change
decade. Williams made a few single player reel scoring
with automatic ball lift motors) had a lever on the front of
games in 1953 which used extra zeros so that the scores
the cabinet used to raise the ball to the playfield, and
ran up into the millions. They then reverted back to light
contained 5 separate balls. This lever was eliminated at
scoring for single player games until 1961.
this time and a ball return solenoid added to return an 'out'
The other significant changes which occured to pinball
ball to the plunger for re-use. The absence of this ball lift
during the fifties were the introduction of the 'slingshot
lever therefore indicates a game made in the post 1964/65
kicker' and metal legs. The slingshot kicker was first
era.
introduced by Gottleib in late 1951, however, it appears
The information presented in this article should enable
that Williams did not adopt its use until sometime later.
anyone to determine the date of manufacture of a given
Metal legs replaced wooden ones on pinballs in mid 1957.
pre 1964/65 pinball machine to within one to six or seven
This however may not always be a good way to date a
years depending on the era involved.
game today since the legs may have been changed in later
The Advertising Reprint is courtesy ofDick Bueschelfrom "The
years.
Two major changes occured to pinballs around 1960
Coin Machine Journal" December, 1947.
which make it easy to tell if a machine was made before or
THE MOST ASTOUNDING PIN GAME OF ALL TIME!
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MEMBER
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© The
International 1981
Arcade Museum
FEBRUARY,
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
THE COIN SLOT — 13