Unusual Mills Castle Front

This is the place to post about any fantastic find (past or present) that you think the rest of us would enjoy reading about.

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby Dave » Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:07 pm

Bill:

You should be sure and add this machine (and photo) to the slot machine serial number registry.

http://www.coinopregistry.com
User avatar
Dave
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1781
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:29 pm
Location: Broomfield CO

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby oldtimeslots.com » Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:30 pm

Thanks Dave for your comments, it makes sense. Yes I will register the the serial number!
oldtimeslots.com
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:11 am
Location: Chelsea, Michigan

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby nvmos2 » Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:23 pm

Very interesting;
so far, the known number of existing no jack pot Castle Fronts stands at 2.

Obviously, this one has an "award" card, as apparently did the second one at one time (along with a pay out cup);
to be consistent with the Future Play feature, it is undoubtedly more of an "instruction" or informational card.
That's why it would be interesting to see what it says.
Unfortunately, it is unreadable due to the yellowed plastic.

Bill;
If it's not inconvenient, please post a photo of the card at a later date once you have it uncovered.
nvmos2
 
Posts: 808
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:43 am
Location: SE Virginia

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby SLOT DYNASTY » Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:49 am

Hi Bill:
Great Find on this "Castle Front". What a cryin-shame, regarding the broken top casting. Why is it, that someone does not take
all necessary precautions, when packing a machine, as special as this model? It never fails! Hope the claim works out well.
I know it will be awhile, but we would like to see pix of it, when it is restored. There are not many Red versions of this model
around, especially with the features that yours has. There are several Black versions around. Some of which, I am sure, have
been painted black, that weren't originally, just so they can use that over-used word "RARE". Let's just hope that someone
doesn't start repainting Blues into Reds.
Bill
User avatar
SLOT DYNASTY
 
Posts: 1497
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:56 am
Location: S.F. Bay Area & San Mateo County, California

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby oldtimeslots.com » Wed Feb 12, 2014 7:18 am

Yes it is very disheartening when you trust a company to pick up, pack and ship a valuable machine to you and it shows up damaged. I have used the same outfit (C&F) many times for high end machines including a Cherry Front Console Rolatop that came from over 1800 miles away and sure it was expensive but I was very pleased in the way they packed and shipped. That is why I went with the same outfit but when it arrived I could see that they didn't have a clue as how to pack. The crate was great, it was 3/4" plywood all the way around and strapped securely to a pallet. The problem is they simply wrapped a 100 lb machine with bubble wrap, set it on a piece of 1" white (crumbley) styrofoam and loosely put some more white styrofoam around and on top of the machine. Not tight at all so the machine bounced around inside the crate the whole way here.
I will indeed post a picture of the "instructional" card once the claims process is finalized, believe me I am very curious to read it myself.
I will also post pictures of the restored machine but it will be a while as like most of us who are in the full time restoration business I am so busy with restoration and repair of other folks machines that mine take a back seat, way back seat but I am very happy to be so busy :D .
oldtimeslots.com
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:11 am
Location: Chelsea, Michigan

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby Mills » Wed Feb 12, 2014 8:40 am

Fantastic find !
Bravo (in french !!) =D> =D>
This machine answer to me many questions I have with the future play mechanism.
I didn't know than Mills made a castle front without jackpot front.
I just finish my future play. Photos here : http://www.flipjuke.fr/mills-future-pay-deferred-pay-t103031.html
37 slots machines.... May be more ?
User avatar
Mills
 
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:14 am
Location: France

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby nvmos2 » Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:22 am

Mills:

You have a great web site with many helpful photographs.
I have visited it many times in the past; I just wish my understanding of French was better.

Great job restoring the Castle Front.
Do you know how this 5 cent machine ended up in Europe?
Can you post the serial number here?

If my understanding of your narrative is correct; when you obtained the machine, it was not equipped with the side vender or Future Play.
It appears you modified the top casting and added the parts to make it Future Play and Side Vender.
Is that correct?
Or was the machine originally Future Play with Side Vender?

Thanks
nvmos2
 
Posts: 808
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 11:43 am
Location: SE Virginia

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby Mills » Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:36 am

I bought this machine via ebay there for ten years in the usa.
This machine was made in 1937 and its serial number is 422xxx.
When I bought this machine, it had no options, but there was the plate that hides the hole for the vender. I noticed the vertical payout levers have the same size (rare thing...) and the money bowl had a rectangular hole to insert a slide....
So the machine was ready to become a future play !
I found a vender and the future play top casting. A friend gave me the lever and slide for the deffered pay (lever on the base plate).
Nothing was modified on the mechanism and on the case. I bought a second back bonnet to keep the original intact.
37 slots machines.... May be more ?
User avatar
Mills
 
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:14 am
Location: France

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby sct2011 » Tue Feb 10, 2015 12:16 pm

This is what the stripped machine looked like as found. It has a hairline crack on the corner just below the reward card (upper casting) that I would like to get fixed before going forward with any restoration. It is also branded with the "Vending Machine Co. Fayetteville NC" on the inside and bottom of the case. It dispensed Vemco Mints and does not have a standard payout card. At the top it says it is a "Type 12 Mills Automatic Confection Vendor"
Attachments
Picture 053.jpg
sct2011
 
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:47 am

Re: Unusual Mills Castle Front

Postby Midcoast Vintage » Tue Feb 10, 2015 6:24 pm

nice, and, a very hard machine to come buy with that future pay mechanism at the top.
could we see a better shot of the reward card, and, of the reel strips.
congratulations on a great find.
User avatar
Midcoast Vintage
 
Posts: 898
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:23 pm
Location: South Beloit, Il

PreviousNext

Return to Fantastic Finds

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests