I believe OP ment that the machine had payout listed for a single Cherry, i.e. [Cherry] + [Anything] + [Anything] for 2 coins on the payout table. I.e. not referring to a mechanical fault, where it pays one coin on a double cherry (nor otherwise).
As for a definitive answer - I cant really say. I've only ever seen [Cherry] + [Cherry] + [Anything] as the smallest winning combination on War Eagles. I do believe that Bursting Cherries exist with a single Cherry payout variantion - and as they're approx. the same generation - why not War Eagles as well? A quick Google image search however does reveal a number of single Cherry payout War eagles out there.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mills+w ... dx40pUbDOMI find it unlikely that someone who wanted to pass a repro as an original, would make it look perfect, except for they payout table. That seems like a weird oversight...