Antique Coin Operated Machines - An Overview

For the last 35 years I have been collectionpayed out and some were trade stimulators. The
American antique coin operated machines.basic concept was you would bet on the horse of
When people use the term slot machine, thisyour choice and a race was run. if your horse
encompasses a larger number of payout typewon, you won. Some popular versions include
slot machines. in the late 1890's these machinesEpsom-Downs, Saratoga Sweepstakes, Spark
were primarily wooden cases with single wheelsPlug, Superior Races, The Darby. One of the most
that turned when activated by a coin. The singlecomplicated versions was the Paces Races. This
wheelers often had very ornate graphics on thewas housed in a large ornate floor model cabinet.
dials. The came in both countertop and floorOne would bet on a horse by inserting a coin, the
model versions. The floor models often had castrace which was then run, was run by a
iron very decorative embellishments on the casemechanism like a player piano which read a roll
and the coin head which often had 4 to 6 optionsand pushed the horse ahead based on the
for coin placement. Some of the well known floorparticular race on the roll. The horses move by a
models include The Dewey, Lion, On the Square,complex mechanishm involving pneumatics.
Owl, Centaur, Cupid. Some of the well knowDice Machine were also popular. These came in
countertop versions include The Brownie, Silverboth payout and non-payout versions. Some of
Cup, Uncle Sam, Owl Jr., and Mascotthe earlier versions were very ornate. Some
In the period between 1900 and 1910, Cast ironPopular machines include The Eagle Dicer, Log
Floor Model trade stimulators were manufactured.Cabin, I Will (which is probably the most ornate
These were cast iron stands with a top piecewith art nouveau women and three dice poppers
that enclosed four to six reels with playing cardsin glass tubes), Pippin, On the Level, Cherry Jitters,
that spun. Some well known examples of theseand Black Magic
include Fortuna, Jumbo Success, The Hamilton,Wheel Machines were introduced in the 1890's.
The CloverThe basic concept was akin to a carnival wheel. A
During this same period many very ornatecoin was inserted and the wheel turned. Where it
counter top cast iron two and three wheel payoutlanded determined the payout. initially these were
machines were created. These are very soughtrather plain machines in wooden cabinets with non
after by collectors because of their rarity anddescript wheels. One early machine of interest is
elaborate designs. Some well known modelsthe Bicycle, where there was a two wheel bicycle
include The Libert Bell, Operator Bell, Baseball Slot,in a glass case. On insertion of a coin the wheels
Big Six, The Pilot, Little Rip, Umpire, Color Match,turned and the payout was determined by the
The Tourist, Square Deal Gum Vender, and Silvernumber on the wheel that landed at the arrow.
Cup,Other interesting variations included The Star,
During the same period many cast iron tabletopBusy Bee, Automatic Vote Recorder, Bulls Eye,
card machines were produced. some of theseWizard Fortune Teller, Comet, 20 for 1, Square
were pay out machines and some were tradeSpin and Shoot the Moon.
stimulators, where the clerk would pay you basedRoulette Machines were also a popular variant.
on your results. Some well known examplesOne Would bet on various options and either a
include Monarch Brownie, Your Next, Perfection,payout or credit was incurred if you won. Some
Commercial, The Trader, King Dodo, Reliable,of the machines are very desireable to collectors.
Hy-Lo, Mayflower, Draw Poker, Pilgrim, TheThese include Monte Carlo, Peerless Roulette
Register, Globe, Bon-Ton, and Victor(which is a very ornate wood floor model with
Starting at about 1890 coin drop machines werecast iron decorations), Little Scarob (which has
introduced. The basic concept was that a coincastings with whimsical scarobs), and The
was introduced at the top of the machine andAristocrat.
would cascade down the playing field hitting manyThere were a group of "skill games" With some
strategically placed nails. The payout wasmachines skill added to the possiblity of winning,
determined by where the coin eventually landedhowever there was also a large component of
on the bottom. The machine were designed soluck, which was grealty stacked in favor of the
that it was very difficult to win. There was no skilloperator. Some unusal examples include the Little
involved and the odd were dramatically in favorKnocker, where you place a coin in the machine
of the operator. Some models also wouldand an owl would move when struck, which if it
dispense gum. Well known models include Thelanded on your color, you won. Other examples
Tower, Nickel Ticler, The Lively Cigar seller,include Log Cabin, The Manilla, The Play Ball
Skillard, Yankee, The Premium Gum Vendor, TheVendor, Patience Developer, Japanese Ball, Sunny
Favorite, Tri-it, Hindoo Fortune Teller, Catch theBoy, indian Shooter, Play Basket Ball, Laddie Golf,
Ball, Beer Here, Happy Days, and The Bouncer.Honest John, The Champion Speed Tester, Chip
Horse race games were also popular. The earliestGolf, Football, Play Golf, B &M Ball Gum
version was introduced in the 1890's and theyMachine, Play Hi-Li, Pile Driver, Par-Ket, and Lucky
were made well into the 30's. Some versionsCoin Tosser.