by Midcoast Vintage » Mon Jun 30, 2014 3:03 pm
from what is shown in the pics you supply,
these are watling.
some top castings have an eagle on top, and i have seen a couple with a large "W" in a very heavy block type font or script letter.
another easy "tell", or give away, is look at the mills logo in the lower right of the front casting... notice the owl has been removed from the center of the gear.
these machines should have round payout fingers going through the reel discs, as opposed to the later flat / stamped pay out fingers.
reel strips should be tin as opposed to paper, and should be marked watling under each bar symbol.
i have only seen the watling versions of this style in cast iron. i have not seen this style in aluminum.
i also believe these to be the last of the CAST IRON watlings.
i believe the first watling aluminum machines were the 4 column vendor ( similar to the mills f.o.k. ), and, the "LINCOLN DeLUXE", which is similar to the previous machine, (taller fok height case), , but with out the front vendor.
and, i believe the first of the aluminum watling's to become the traditional "flat top" style they became known for were the BABY LINCOLN", and the "BLUE SEAL" 4 COLUMN VENDOR FRONT with the big roll of mints cast diagonally across the front casting.