kxh121 wrote:Does anyone know the years Mills produced the Extraordinary? I believe it was first introduced at the 1933 Chicago Worlds fair and the info I am looking for also includes when each denomination was introduced. I am interested in US market only 5c, 10c, 25c, and 50c. Thanks in advance!
Ken
The Extraordinary was the first slot to really catch my eye, because of its art deco architectural style, and it's always been the one that interested me most. The first one that I bought and restored as a teenager, got away from me, but a few years ago I found a very early one that mostly just needed its exterior restored after 2 or 3 later paint jobs, which I'm finally getting to after overhauling the mechanism and escalator.
I have seen both 1933 and 1934 cited as the year the machine was introduced. The Chicago World's Fair was originally scheduled for 1933, but due to its popularity continued on to 1934. As far as I can tell, none of the vending machine companies had booths at the World's Fair, much less slot manufacturers, so my guess is that the machine was an informal tie-in to the Fair.
The Slot Machines of Yesteryear series, in the Mills of the Thirties volume, documents when several different versions appeared in Mills corporate publications. In 1933, they show earlier Silent Bells available in 5c, 10c and 25c. The introduction of the Extraordinary is dated to 1934.
The Extraordinary that I'm currently restoring has original World's Fair specific fortune/joke gold award reel strips (the horizontal, not diagonal, type). They are marked "CC314-1A 1-23-34", "CC314-2-G-2 8-28-34 5M", and "CC314-3-G-3 8-24-34 5M", suggesting that Mills was producing World's Fair specific items at the beginning of 1934.
I have, or have seen, a set of small color promo sheets that Mills produced for different versions of the Extraordinary, I assume when they were first produced:
* Extraordinary Silent Bell
* Extraordinary Silent Golden Bell (with Gold Award)
* Extraordinary Silent Golden Side Vender (with GA and 3 star side vender)
"Made in 5c, 10c and 25c play. The side vender style is very popular with the present day operators. Comes and Regular and Mystery payout style."
That's the only reference I've ever seen to a mystery version of the Extraordinary.
So it would seem that all denominations except 50c were available from the beginning, whether that was 1934, or possibly 1933. I believe there was some discussion a while back about 50c models, and that they were rare, but I can't immediately find it.
Restored Mills 5c Extraordinary "barn find", long gone - now restoring 1934 5c Extraordinary Gold Award with original World's Fair reel strips
Restoring early Mills 5c Firebird (large coin view window)
About to take on a Mills 5c Vest Pocket