Finally got my friend's Rol A Top

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Finally got my friend's Rol A Top

Postby kingsley » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:19 am

One of my good friends has had a Watling nickel Rol A Top Checkerboard for longer than the 30 years I have known him. It always worked flawlessly until a few years ago when someone inserted a slug and it got caught in the machine, He stored it in a closit and I got it from him this past weekend. He is still looking for the key and if he can't locate it in a week or two I will take it to a locksmith to get in and change the lock. One possible problem is that now you can pull the arm and spin the tumblers without inserting a coin so someone may have forced it after the slug got in there (probably the same guy.) [u]Question: Assuming the arm is not supposed to actuate the tumblers without inserting a coin and assuming it now does, is this a complicated fix?[/u]

I understand the serial number is on the inside but are there any stamped on the outside? I did see on the top back it reads: "Coin-Head 2038069"

Any help/comments would be greatly appreciated.
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Re: Finally got my friend's Rol A Top

Postby watlingboy » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:23 am

WThat number is a patten number. The only place the serial can be found on the outside right hand front edge of the case. to the right of the coin return on the top casting. It should be an easy fix.

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Re: Finally got my friend's Rol A Top

Postby SLOT DYNASTY » Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:49 pm

Kingsley:
I am sure you are aware of this............If you take the machine to a locksmith, under NO circumstances, leave it.
Stay within 'touchy-feely' distance at all times, as no telling what could be inside. Many times, old coins, and if you
are a coin collector, many surprises await thee. I found a near-mint Liberty Nickel, being used as a spacer, under
the frame of an early Hudson Moore Dice Machine years ago. Also, back in the early 80's, a friend of mine that had
an Antique Shop in San Francisco, and dealt in many coin-op, bought a Mills "Tickette" machine, that was locked,
with no key, and he never took it in to a locksmith to get it opened. He eventually sold it, and the buyer had it
opened, and found a large roll of bills that someone had stashed in it. That paid for his purchase 10 times over!
Why he even went back and told him, was a mystery, which we thought was pure BS, turned out, it was true, as
my friend knew the locksmith that opened it, and asked him. You bet he never sold anything from then-on, before
opening it first. #-o I can imagine all the stories that can be told about finds inside of a locked machine. Over the
years, I have found a few surprises myself. I get a kick out of people selling a little trade stimulator on eBay, that
is locked, with no key, and a bunch of coins rattling around, and in their description it says, "coins go with it". OK!
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Re: Finally got my friend's Rol A Top

Postby kingsley » Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:02 pm

Thanks and yes it won't leave my sight. It is so heavy I want them to come out into the parking lot and see if they can open it. My friend always had a hundred or so nickels in the tray for people to use and when it ran out he would open the back and move the coins to the front tray again. It jingles big time when carried and as there ae only a few coins on the tray I think it is full of nickels and I do plan to have a look at all the coins.

Also, I found the serial number on the side but it is way too faint to make out more than a few numbers. I will have to wait until I can get inside to get that number.

Thanks for all the help. I will let you know what I discover.
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