Coin Slot
Issue: 1981 November 081 - Page 65
Coin Slot Magazine - #081 - 1981 - November [International Arcade Museum]
One of the all-time greats, this is a late
production Watling ROL-A-TOP with the
"Coin" head. Here is a machine that can
always be regarded as a good investment,
Another Greg Lewis machine. This is a
beautiful example of the two-jackpot version
of the Mills "Lion's Head". The actual name
is the REBUILT GOOSENECK. Old Bell
no matter what the current market value.
mechanisms were put into new "Lion's
Head" cabinets to upgrade old models. The
serial is 215,531. 5$ play.
This beautiful example is owned by Greg
Lewis of Dublin, California. Play is 50, serial
92,608.
cabinet. These were called the CHROME WAR EAGLE,
but the coinage and distribution of these models were
unknown, as well as any serials. Late in 1943 a follow-
up model came along called the GOLD CHROME WAR
EAGLE, having a completely refinished gold chrome
cabinet similar in color to the late pre-war GOLD
CHROME "Diamond Front" Bell machine. Once again,
no knowledge of distribution or serials or coinage.
Until now, perhaps.
Just as a matter of course the editor of The Coin Slot
got a letter from a reader in England, and serials were
included for some English-coin models of Mills ma
chines. Among them were a "chrome finish" WAR
EAGLE in 6d play, serial 273,795 and a "gold type
finish" WAR EAGLE, also in 6d play, serial 279,375.
And there we have them, the 1943 revamps in England
in English-coin play. Just how and when did they get
there? Could it have been in wartime, and could they
.com
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oad .arcade
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November 1981
© The International Arcade Museum
have gone over for the service clubs or officer's clubs
for the USAF 8th Air Force? We know that a lot of
service clubs on American bases all over the world
were major customers for updated and revamped Bell
machines during the war (that's how Buckley got into
the revamp business, selling machines to officer's
clubs through highly placed military connections) and
it seems logical that local coinage would have been
used as that was the coin of the realm.
■ |he
he English
I
reader—Julian Wardle of
North Humberside, England —also sent in a serial
476,0#2 (next to last digit missing) for a Mills NEW
BONUS "Horse Head" Bell in 6d play in a blue finish
cabinet. This is the last recorded serial for a blue
"Horse Head" discovered so far, and may have gotten
to England at the same time as the revamped WAR
EAGLE models. Interesting.
Serial number399,116 fora Mills BLUE FRONT(see
the photo of this machine owned by Paul Olson
accompanying this feature) in 25$ play is also inter
esting. The cabinet, confirmed as original, isn't blue. It's
purple. The machine is obviously a revamp, probably a
wartime revamp by a local operator, or possibly Buckley.
Continued on page 64
THE COIN SLOT-63
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
One of the all-time greats, this is a late
production Watling ROL-A-TOP with the
"Coin" head. Here is a machine that can
always be regarded as a good investment,
Another Greg Lewis machine. This is a
beautiful example of the two-jackpot version
of the Mills "Lion's Head". The actual name
is the REBUILT GOOSENECK. Old Bell
no matter what the current market value.
mechanisms were put into new "Lion's
Head" cabinets to upgrade old models. The
serial is 215,531. 5$ play.
This beautiful example is owned by Greg
Lewis of Dublin, California. Play is 50, serial
92,608.
cabinet. These were called the CHROME WAR EAGLE,
but the coinage and distribution of these models were
unknown, as well as any serials. Late in 1943 a follow-
up model came along called the GOLD CHROME WAR
EAGLE, having a completely refinished gold chrome
cabinet similar in color to the late pre-war GOLD
CHROME "Diamond Front" Bell machine. Once again,
no knowledge of distribution or serials or coinage.
Until now, perhaps.
Just as a matter of course the editor of The Coin Slot
got a letter from a reader in England, and serials were
included for some English-coin models of Mills ma
chines. Among them were a "chrome finish" WAR
EAGLE in 6d play, serial 273,795 and a "gold type
finish" WAR EAGLE, also in 6d play, serial 279,375.
And there we have them, the 1943 revamps in England
in English-coin play. Just how and when did they get
there? Could it have been in wartime, and could they
.com
m
:
u
from -muse
d
e
oad .arcade
l
n
Dow //www
:
http
November 1981
© The International Arcade Museum
have gone over for the service clubs or officer's clubs
for the USAF 8th Air Force? We know that a lot of
service clubs on American bases all over the world
were major customers for updated and revamped Bell
machines during the war (that's how Buckley got into
the revamp business, selling machines to officer's
clubs through highly placed military connections) and
it seems logical that local coinage would have been
used as that was the coin of the realm.
■ |he
he English
I
reader—Julian Wardle of
North Humberside, England —also sent in a serial
476,0#2 (next to last digit missing) for a Mills NEW
BONUS "Horse Head" Bell in 6d play in a blue finish
cabinet. This is the last recorded serial for a blue
"Horse Head" discovered so far, and may have gotten
to England at the same time as the revamped WAR
EAGLE models. Interesting.
Serial number399,116 fora Mills BLUE FRONT(see
the photo of this machine owned by Paul Olson
accompanying this feature) in 25$ play is also inter
esting. The cabinet, confirmed as original, isn't blue. It's
purple. The machine is obviously a revamp, probably a
wartime revamp by a local operator, or possibly Buckley.
Continued on page 64
THE COIN SLOT-63
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).