1929 mills poinsettia nickel slot machine

It is possible that this Mills Novelty Poinsettia Machine had it's top casting damaged. In terms of revamp machines, this example is set-up opposite of most. Roberts also decorated the top casting with small connected boxes below the decorative leaves on the front edge. The most notable difference is the 'R' located above the oval coin window. The top casting is very similar to the Mills Poinsettia but with smaller differences. The top casting was made by Roberts Novelty. The lower front casting belongs to a model called the Poinsettia made by Mills Novelty from 1928 to 1931. This specific machine is quite unique in that it features a Mills Novelty mechanism, oak cabinet, and lower front casting. One of the smaller companies to do this 'revamping' was Roberts Novelty Company located at 116 Liberty Street, Utica New York. By doing this the machine would have a new appearance and also fill a new need for jackpot front machines. These companies would take an older machine and modify the lower and sometimes upper casting and add a jackpot. However, other smaller companies were putting aftermarket jackpots on existing machines. Once machines started appearing with the jackpot, the older models received little play and were considered obsolete. Slot machines made by the larger manufacturers like Mills did not have this feature built in regularly until the 1930's. Probably the most important innovation of the slot machines starting in the late 1920's was the jackpot. In addition to its construction, the machine also used the images or owls on the top and bottom front, giving this machine the nickname 'Owl'. The castings were made of aluminum and the mechanism was cushioned and used a cast iron frame. This machine was also revolutionary in it's construction. The Operator Bell was a very important source of income for business owners all over the country at this time. Other variations of the Operator Bell would vend mints, allowing them to operate in areas that had somewhat stricter gambling laws. Parts of the country that had liberal gambling laws would allow for the use of what is called the 'straight ball machine', which is like this model. During most of the 1920's Mills was by far the largest maker of slot machines. During the 1920's and 1930's Mills was the largest manufacturer of coin operated machines in the US, eclipsing all other slot machine makers combined. This machine was made around 1929 at the Mills Chicago, IL factory. Up for sale is this Mills Novelty Company / Roberts Novelty Revamp Nickel Slot Machine.

1929 mills poinsettia nickel slot machine