Serial Numbers questions

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Serial Numbers questions

Postby pb4sc » Sun Feb 26, 2017 8:32 am

Hi All,
I was hoping someone can shed some light on Serial Numbers. I read Dave's excellent article on help with identifying fraudulent machines. In it, he says
If they are original they should have a serial number stamped in the top casting. It is usually stamped just to the right of the award card or on the far right at the top of the front casting.


I have been looking at a Mills Castle front that I found on Craigslist. https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/clt/6021850277.html When I asked the owner about the Serial Number, he said that it did not have one. He also told me that an expert has looked at it, and he has a letter from that expert that guarantees it is authentic. It looks old, and so does the mechanism, but since it did not have the Serial number I passed on it.

My questions are as follows. If it does not have a Serial number, can it still be an authentic machine? I have noticed that the earlier models from the 20s and 30s tend to have serial numbers more that the 40 and 50s. Am I correct in my observations, or should Serial #s be on all years?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Phil
Last edited by pb4sc on Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Serial Numbers questions

Postby JHSS-1944 » Sun Feb 26, 2017 9:40 pm

I can't state when the serial numbers on Mills machines changed locations but , no doubt in the middle of some production runs. so that statement is only partly true, for those other machines.
plus on machines being used in illegal locations , some have the numbers removed, some very nicely , some horribly.
So , I like you would like to find better information on this also. I've seen machines being fought over by collectors & dealers alike, with No number on the casting..... " that should ".
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